


Catharsis of the Human Condition

by EpiphanyLilium



Series: Midsummer Week's Nightmare [2]
Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Angst, Blood and Violence, Multi, Mythology - Freeform, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Paranormal, Pining, Psychological Trauma, References to ABBA, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Summer, Survival Horror, Survivor Guilt, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:33:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 91,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22952608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EpiphanyLilium/pseuds/EpiphanyLilium
Summary: The Love Island squad has to return to the center of their trauma after Priya flies back to Sweden. Can they stop and help Priya before it's too late for her to turn back? Midsummer Week's Nightmare's sequel.Post-villa, one year later.
Relationships: Bobby/Main Character (Love Island), Chelsea/Henrik (Love Island), Gary/Lottie (Love Island)
Series: Midsummer Week's Nightmare [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1649431
Comments: 27
Kudos: 60





	1. Information on the Sequel

Hello! Welcome back to Midsummer Week's Nightmare! Well, to it's sequel _'Catharsis of Human Condition'_ at least. I'm glad to see you have returned! If you are not a returning but instead a new reader, I recommend you to read the first installment of the series at first. You'll find it in my profile and in the series tag. You won't probably understand what's going on if you haven't read the prequel. If you decide to read it, good luck and I hope you'll enjoy the prequel! Remember to return to this one once you're finished! :)

This is NOT the first real chapter of the story, but instead I'm going to inform you a little about my plans and what you may find in the following chapters. I may or may not delete or edit this "chapter" when I'm ready to post the first actual chapter. I'm just really excited to get back to writing and couldn't wait any longer even though I was planning on taking a longer break.

Okay, so the the tea! What's new, what's old, what's different? When will I post the first chapter and how often will I update this story? If you don't find answers to your questions in this chapter, you may also ask me. I'll answer it as long as it's not a big spoiler or otherwise inappropriate. 

What's new? Well, obviously new chapters. So far I've planned out 10+ chapters, but we'll see how many chapter there will be. I don't think it's going to be quite as long as MWN (don't quote me on that!) as I felt like some of the chapters in it were even a little too long for pleasurable reading experience. As you may have noticed in the tags, I've also added some new characters to this story from the game that did not appear in the first installment that much. We lost some of our beloved character's last time around, so I wanted to add some new and fresh blood to the mix. There are also going to be some new dangers and creatures of the forest that will make sure that you haven't seen the worst of it all. 

What's old? This is still mostly considered a horror story. Just how much horror is it going to have in the end is still a mystery to me, but I'll try and keep the suspense strong and going. And then we have the same, familiar characters.. At least mostly. The setting also stays the same, although the squad may explore new areas of the forest that they hadn't stumbled on before. I also don't intend to stop using ABBA references, sorry! 

What's different? I think the biggest difference in this story is that this sequel has a strong focus on Priya's character. It kind of feels like she's the main player this time around in many ways. But that probably didn't come as a surprise to anyone who has either read the first installment and/or seen my teaser picture in Reddit's r/fuseboxgames subreddit.

When will I post the new chapter and how often will I update this story? I'll try and post the first chapter in March of 2020. I'm not sure of the date yet but I am aiming at the beginning of March (first two weeks). This time around I'll update the story weekly instead of daily. I noticed how tiring posting a new chapter daily really was especially towards the end and I'm still rather busy with university and my bachelor's thesis so that's why I have decided to post weekly. I'm actually aiming for 2-3 new chapters a week but some weeks it might just be one chapter. 

Thank you all for taking your time reading my previous work. Your comments and kudos do mean a lot and I appreciate each and every one of you readers. It is scary to write a sequel in a sense as I feel like sequels are rarely better or even as good as the original work, but I'll try my best to make this installment as enjoyable as I can. I hope you stick around.

Have a great day!  
Love, Ida (EpiphanyLilium) <3


	2. Nowhere Lane, Nowhere Train

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The former Islanders run to the airport to try and stop Priya from leaving, but will their valiant efforts prove to be enough and will they arrive on time?

Bobby and MC drove to the airport as fast as they could without breaking the law, their hearts nearly beating out of their chests. The drive there was silent and the feeling inside the vehicle was tense and gloomy. There was an occasional message in the chat group about rides, Priya and plans on how to stop her. If they were to arrive in time at all, that is.

When they finally arrived at the airport, Bobby parked the car hastily and they nearly jumped out of the vehicle, Bobby almost forgetting to lock the doors behind them. They ran to the doors, spotting a familiar face among the crowd.

“Lucas! We are here!” MC shouted after the familiar figure, causing Lucas to turn to them with a worried smile. 

“Hey there, MC and Bobby. Congratulations on your engagement! I came here right away with my motorcycle.. I haven’t seen any of the others yet.” Lucas explained and smiled at his friends, his charming smile faltering a little as soon as he mentioned the engagement. 

“Thanks, buddy! Let’s hurry up and go inside, then.” Bobby exclaimed and the two others nodded. The trio made their way into the airport. They looked at the screens about departing planes. On the top it read ‘Umeå’. It’s finished boarding.. Fuck! 

“MC! Bobby! Lucas!” They heard a recognizable voice calling out to them as Rocco ran next to them, breathing hard. He pointed at one of the gated while catching his breath, “Let’s go ask that lady if there’s any way we can reach Priya or make sure that she doesn’t make it to the plane..” He added and they began running towards one of the workers.

“This gate is not available right now, please go to another gate.” The receptionist said with a polite smile, typing something on the computer in front of her. 

“But this is an emergency!” MC shouted desperately and slammed her fists against the counter, causing the receptionist to jump. The receptionist lifted her gaze from the computer screen, eying the group suspiciously. 

“What is this emergency?” She questioned them with a small frown, adjusting her uniform. 

“We need to stop our friend from leaving! She’s leaving for Umeå, Sweden. We can’t let her go!” Bobby explained, stress evident in his tone. 

“Um.. Is there any reason why she shouldn’t go in that plane?” The lady asked with furrowed eyebrows, nervously tapping her foot against the hard marble floor.

“Oh, she.. She.. She..” Rocco began but couldn’t finish his sentence as his mind completely blanked. What could they say to the receptionist? What would convince her? 

“She’s a terrorist! She has a bomb with her!” A panicked voice shouted from behind them. The others turned to look at the source of the sound and saw Gary and Lottie running towards them. MC grimaced at Gary’s obvious lie, hoping that it wouldn’t get them into trouble..

“We scanned everyone and their luggages and we didn’t find anything suspicious with any of the passengers. You do understand how grave that accusation was, right?” The receptionist said coolly as her worried frown turned into annoyance. 

“Um, she’s not a terrorist. She’s just.. Mentally unstable. She’s not fit to travel alone to a foreign country..” Lottie jabbed at Gary and smiled her most convincing smile to the receptionist lady. The receptionist looked at Lottie suspiciously before turning to look at the computer, typing something. 

“Yeah! We are worried about her. She went through something traumatic and hasn’t been the same since.. We need to make sure she’s safe and sane!” MC nodded, going along with Lottie’s lie. Well, it wasn’t exactly a lie. Priya hadn’t been the same after their time in Sweden. None of them had. But Priya had handled everything much worse than most of the others. She had become more quiet, reserved, absent-minded and secretive. That spunky, funny, sassy and glamorous woman with a killer style had really toned down her makeup, clothes and attitude. She didn’t post anything on social media anymore and she barely even answered her DMs. 

“Do you have any sort of evidence? You already presented me with false accusations, so I don’t think I can look into this case further unless you provide me evidence from her psychiatrist.” The receptionist said sternly yet politely, looking at the group pointedly.

“Oh, please believe us! She can’t leave!” Bobby sighed dramatically and leaned forward towards the receptionist, giving her his best attempt at puppy eyes. 

“If you can’t prove that she’s mentally unstable, I can’t help you further. I’m sorry.” The lady answered and didn’t budge in her words. 

“Can’t you at least let us through so maybe we can reach her?” Lucas pleaded and glanced at the clock worriedly. Time was running out.

“Hey guys! Did you find Priya yet?!” A voice shouted behind them again. 

“Chelsea, the plane has finished boarding already. I don’t think Priya is anywhere among this crowd.” Another, manlier voice answered and the group already knew who had arrived. They turned around to see Chelsea and Henrik make their way towards them.

“There’s more of you? Geez.. And no, I don’t think I can do that,” The woman sighed and typed something, “They are about to leave soon anyway. You would only cause chaos. Just let her go and book plane tickets for tomorrow or something.” She added snarkily, clearly done with the group’s antics. 

“You don’t understand! This is a crisis! We absolutely need to stop her!” MC screamed, tears pooling in her eyes. She didn’t want to go through the same nightmare again. She didn’t want to return to that summer cottage. Anything but that. The old memories creeped back into her mind as she started to shake. Bobby wrapped his arms around MC and pulled her closer, holding her near. 

“I can’t help you. Please leave now before I call the security.” The receptionist said coldly, ready to pick up the phone next to her. Rocco sighed in defeat and shook his head slowly.

“Let’s go. There’s nothing we can do.” He breathed out and turned to walk away from the counter. The others mumbled something between themselves, but followed suit. Bobby led MC away from the gate, still keeping his arms around her soothingly.

“Let’s look as the plane leaves through the window..” Gary sighed and they all made their way to the windows facing the trajectory. Along the way they met some of the other former islanders, such as Hope, Ibrahim and Marisol. They explained their situation to them and they all looked disappointed, but understanding. 

“This sucks..” Marisol sighed deeply as they stared out of the window. Everyone murmured in agreement as they stared absentmindedly in front of them.

“Does this mean.. We have to go back? To.. To Sweden? To that place?” Hope asked silently, her voice cracking. The air felt instantly heavier as they all thought about Hope’s revelation. 

“I don’t want to go back there.. It would bring up too many awful memories..” Ibrahim admitted sadly, shaking his head a looking at the floor with wide eyes.

“Not to mention it would be dangerous! Any of us could die there!” Chelsea yelped and clung to Henrik’s arm. Henrik looked down at her sadly, shaking his head. 

“But what other choice do we have? We can’t abandon Priya..” Henrik sighed and ran his hand through Chelsea’s blonde hair softly. 

“And maybe we.. Maybe we could find Elisa.. We still don’t know if she’s dead or alive..” Marisol said, a small glimmer of hope present in her tone. Everyone turned to look at her with forlorn expressions. Marisol blushed slightly, averting her gaze, “I know it’s unlikely that she would still be alive, but I can’t help but think that maybe.. Just maybe..” 

“Marisol hun, we heard her. In the voice messages. With the others that passed.” Lottie bit her lip nervously and offered an empathetic look to Marisol. Marisol shook her head. 

“Ghosts don’t send text messages, right? I mean, she.. She’s..” She trailed off as her eyes glazed over. The group exchanged worried glances before MC sighed and walked up to Marisol, hugging her. 

“I know it’s hard to face. We all miss her. But we saw the others sending messages to us, too. I don’t know how dead people can apparently text us, but… There’s no other explanations. Priya saw Hannah’s and Jakub’s dead bodies. You witnessed Noah’s death alongside Hope, Rocco and Elisa. Bobby, Rahim and Henrik saw Jo get killed. They are gone. And there’s a high chance that so is Elisa..” MC spoke softly as she held Marisol close. Marisol shivered a little, pressing her face against MC’s shoulder, unmoving. 

“I know.. It’s just so hard to let go.. I just want to say goodbye.. I just want to see her one more time..” Marisol sobbed as she pulled MC closer to her.

“Excuse me, but you’re not the only one who lost someone dear to them. Nothing is going to make Noah come back. And he wouldn’t want me to go and put my life in danger again!” Hope sighed annoyedly. Everyone turned to look at her sudden outburst, surprised. It was mostly just her fear and trauma talking through her, but it still came out as petty and tactless.

“Hope.. I know you’re hurt. And what you just said was your pain manifesting. We all are hurt by what went down. I know losing Noah took a huge toll on you, but we really don’t have any other way but to go after her.” Lucas spoke calmly with an unreadable expression. Hope stared at him angrily for a while before her expression softened a little. 

“Why do you have to always be right?” Hope sighed annoyedly and crossed her arms, frowning, “I’m just scared..” 

“We all are. It’s not exactly our dream vacation. Come and relive your trauma in a place where your friends were killed and you were attacked by monsters!” Gary joked around and let out a dark chuckle that slowly turned into a sigh. Some of the others laughed nervously along, others frowned at Gary. 

“Woah Gary, that’s dark..” Bobby said out loud, nervously scratching the back of his neck, “Didn’t know you had that in you, hehe..” he chuckled and looked at the ground.

“Me neither.. I just blurted it out before I could think about it too much..” Gary admitted with a guilty expression, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

“It’s fine, babe. It’s just your subconscious talking. Nothing to be ashamed about. I gotta say it was a little dark and twisted, but I’ve heard worse.” Lottie smirked and squeezed Gary’s hand affectionately.

“Dark and twisted, hm? I’ve probably learnt that from you, Teetee!” Gary smirked back, causing Lottie to blush a little. 

“I’m not dark and twisted! I’m just.. witchy and a little bitchy!” She tried to explain, her confidence faltering. Gary hummed victoriously while shaking his head. 

“Well, we better go back, buy the tickets and pack for the trip..” Lucas sighed, gaining nods of approval from the fellow islanders. As they were about to leave, they spotted the plane flying higher and higher. They all looked at it, mesmerized, everything becoming more and more concrete by the second. MC looked at the plane and felt her heart beating fast. There went Priya. She wondered what Priya was thinking about… How was she feeling… Or was she even really feeling or thinking at the moment at all? Or was she doing this purely out of instinct, out of force? 

As they were staring at the plane as it was disappearing from their view, they heard someone calling out from them. For a moment, they felt hopeful. Maybe Priya had come to her senses and ditched the flight? Soon enough they realized that it wasn’t Priya’s voice. They turned around and saw Shannon waving at them while pushing through the crowd. Behind here there were other familiar faces. Carl, Kassam and Graham followed her in silence, grim expression evident on their faces. 

“Shannon! Carl! Kassam! Graham! What are you guys doing here? Going for a trip?” Chelsea shrieked and smiled at their friends from the Island and Casa Amor. 

“No, silly! We came here to help you.” Carl smiled, attempting to look confident although it was plain to see that he was nervous. He fidgeted the hem of his shirt awkwardly, biting the inside of his cheek.

“Help us? How?” Marisol cocked her eyebrow at the group, wiping her eyes in attemption of composing herself. 

“Well, our first plan was to stop Priya from leaving with you.. But we can see that we weren’t fast enough,” Graham grimaced and looked at the sky, “There’s no way we’re letting you go back there on your own. We’re coming with you.” He continued sternly.

“You don’t have to.. Just stay home and stay safe, okay? This is our mess.” Henrik’s eyes widened as he tried to reason with the bearded seaman. 

“Nonsense. We’re a team now!” Shannon clapped her hands together and grinned at the group, standing her ground. 

“We can’t possibly ask you to join us! This is a dangerous adventure, understood?” Rocco furrowed his brows and shook his head in disapproval.

“We know. But we have made our choice.” Kassam simply stated with an unreadable expression, yet the way he had spoken told the group more than a thousand words could. 

“If you insist, then I guess we can’t stop you.. We won’t be mad if you back out though..” Lottie sighed and smiled carefully at the group. 

“We won’t back out. That would be cowardly and I’m not a coward.” Graham growled and crossed his arms. There was no way to turn his head anymore it seemed. 

“Where are Elijah, Arjun, Felix, Blake, Siobhan and Emily?” Hope questioned with raised eyebrows. 

“Well, Elijah and Arjun are together in Bora Bora right now.. Felix said he’s busy at his DJ job, Siobhan and Emily had some other plans and Blake just said that she’s too pretty to die.” Carl sighed and averted his gaze. Kassam frowned at the mention of Felix and DJing and Shannon rolled her eyes at Blake’s shallow comment. 

“Well, we’re thankful that you’re here.” Bobby smiled at them and they returned a grateful smile, “Okay, so let’s buy the tickets for tomorrow and go home and pack.” He added, his smile slowly disappearing as the reality hit back in. 

“Remember to pack things that are useful in a forest. Like extra clothes, food, drinks, rope, first aid kits, compasses, weapons, lighters.. You know the drill, right?” Henrik listed and the group nodded their heads and murmured among each other. 

“I love crazy adventures! The crazier, the better the thrill is..” Shannon smiled slyly and tossed her curls. 

“I can do calculations on which plans sound the safest or the most effective..” Carl promised with a smile on his plump lips. 

“Maybe I’ll get inspiration for a new mixtape from nature or our mission..” Kassam wondered with a far-away look.

“I’ve withstood many storms and I’m familiar with rough waters. This shouldn’t be too different from those times!” Graham’s laughter boomed through the airport, causing some people to look at them with keen interest. 

“Keep it down, will you? And please take this seriously. I know you weren’t there the last time so you don’t know what kind of Hell it was.. But it’s all about survival there. Not only do you need to manage with only little food and water but also nature is against you in many ways.. There are monsters that want you dead!” MC explained in a hushed tone, glaring at the new party members with a serious look. They quieted down and nodded, their facial expressions neutral if not somewhat tense.

“Oh! Shouldn’t we inform that police man that we’re coming back? He could get us some back up!” Chelsea exclaimed suddenly with a bright smile. 

“That’s a great idea, babe! Does anyone have Leif Holmstad’s number?” Henrik questioned and Lucas nodded, taking out his cellphone.

“I asked for and saved his number back then just in case.. I’m going to call him right now and tell him about Priya and our plans.” Lucas explained formally before tapping the screen, scrolling and tapping again, raising the phone next to his ear. Soon enough he was talking with Leif, warning him about Priya’s escape and telling him that they are going to come after her the following day. 

“Well, if the police are informed then that means we’re going to be a little more safe, right?” Hope sighed, a slight relief present in her sigh. The others nodded carefully, weighing their options. Before anyone could answer, Lucas ended the call and turned to face the group again.

“Leif said that he’ll go to the airport in case he can capture Priya and inform us in the evening whether he found her or not. He also said that if we do come to Sweden, he’ll have some policemen drive and accompany us to the cottage and help us in our search somehow.” Lucas explained and the atmosphere in the airport suddenly felt lighter and more carefree as if a large burden had been lifted off of their shoulders.

“That’s awesome! I hope that he can capture Priya and just send her back so we don’t have to even go to Sweden..” Rocco beamed before turning to Henrik, “Don’t get me wrong mate, Sweden is a cool country but I’ll never think about it the same way after the last time..” 

“I understand. It was horrible..” Henrik just nodded, frowning at the memory, “But yeah! I feel much more reassured knowing that the police are helping us. In Sweden most people trust the police and they are well respected. I know that’s not the case everywhere in the world, but in Sweden police are generally trustworthy.” 

“Let’s still get packing just in case we do need to leave. We need to be prepared. Try and sleep well tonight, okay? We might need all the energy we can get..” Marisol reminded the group, silencing everyone for a while. 

Slowly the group began to disband after some small talk. The general mood was better than it was at first, but Marisol’s reality check did bring some of the shadows and worried back to the surface. MC’s head was spinning as she thought about everything that had happened in the past 24 hours - Bobby had proposed, they had amazing sex after a long dry spell, found out that Priya had disappeared, followed her to the airport and found out that the might need to return to Sweden. 

Bobby entwined his fingers with MC’s as they made their way back to their cars in silence. Their happy loved up bliss had been overshadowed by their past trauma and losses that were brought up again by Priya’s escape. Memories - some good, but mostly bad, that they had longed to bury somewhere deep and forget about, were now lying in front of their eyes, impossible to ignore. MC could see with the eyes of her soul the moment Bobby had been dragged away, she could hear his screams and how his head had hit against a rock. Bobby on the other hand could recall the time possessed Priya nearly choked MC, how her body had gone limp and how she had stopped from making any sounds. 

They got into the car in a mutual yet silent agreement that some things needed to be talked about soon. But not now. Not at that very moment. At that very moment they just wanted to blast out some music with full volume and sing along, letting go of their worries for at least that one car drive. Bobby started the car and turned the volume up, hoping for a nice, happy-go-lucky bubblegum pop song that would make just about anyone giddy or a punk song that they could scream along with, scream away all of the frustrations and fears. 

_You come, you stay, you go  
It really doesn’t matter  
You’ve done it all before  
By now they’ll know the pattern  
It’s a dead end street  
They tie your hands and tie your feet  
And the street is narrow  
A nowhere lane  
A nowhere train for Elaine, Elaine, Elaine  
You’re like a goldfish in a bowl  
Elaine, Elaine, Elaine  
They have your mind, they’ll take your soul  
Now that you’re gone, you know they’re gonna get you  
Now that you’re gone, you know they’ll never let you_

They sat in silence, too freaked out for a moment to say anything. Bobby cleared his throat anxiously before speaking up.

“Was.. Was that ABBA? I’ve never heard that before..” Bobby spoke quietly, turning the volume down as the song continued on. 

“It does sound like ABBA..” MC muttered and googled the lyrics on her phone, “Yep, It’s called Elaine and it’s by ABBA.. What a coincidence..” She laughed nervously, biting her lower lip roughly. 

“What’s up with all of these ABBA songs? I wouldn’t be surprised if someone came up to us and told us that we’re stuck in the middle of Mamma Mia filming!” Bobby chuckled, trying to ease the tension in the air. 

“Yeah, it is kinda unbelievable.. I guess ABBA is in again somehow? ABBA keeps coming back time after time..” MC agreed and turned the volume carefully up again. Elaine had ended and a new, much more modern and upbeat song had begun playing. Like a magic spell, it automatically made the couple feel a tad better and less stressed. 

Before they could even reach their home, people had started to converse in the group chat. They were talking about the possible trip, Priya and the past events. 

Chelsea: Oh em gee! I’m sooo nervous about tonight and tomorrow! I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay put..   
Rocco: Yeah, I feel you.. In a moment like this I’ll usually get my truck and drive somewhere far away, but right now I can’t really do that..  
Gary: What am I going to tell nan? Oh hey, I’m going back to Sweden in the same forest, be right back? She’s going to go mental.   
Lucas: You mean angrier than in the hospital? She was so scary..   
Gary: Oh, I’m sure. She can be even scarier, trust me.   
Marisol: Poor Priya.. I wonder what she could be thinking about at this very moment.. I can’t help but feel bad for her.   
Shannon: I wonder what drove her to go back… She would never choose to go back there if she was completely sane and in control…  
Carl: Yes, her behavior is totally irrational and illogical. She’s not gaining anything by going back but she may lose more than she had bargained for.   
Lottie: I guess it could have something to do with Ulrike’s spell on her? That’s the only explanation I can think of..  
Hope: But Ulrike died, right? Henrik blew up the church. There’s no way even that bitch could survive something like that..   
Henrik: I sure do hope that she died.. But we can’t be sure. The firefighters didn’t find anything amongst the rubble. That can either mean that she burned to crisp or that she managed to escape..  
Kassam: Somehow it’s always more difficult to get rid of the evil than to get rid of the good.  
Graham: Maybe she was forced to go back because Ulrike passed and the forest needs a new maiden to rule them?   
Marisol: That is a possibility, I guess.. We’ll just have to wait and see.   
Lottie: I hope there is a cure for the curse..   
Lucas: All of this talk about curses.. Do we even know if there is a curse?   
Rocco: Why else would she go back?   
Lucas: Um, psychosis? Drugs? Guilt? I don’t know. There could be many reasons for her choice.  
Chelsea: Oh, my great-grandfather had psychosis!   
Kassam: I don’t know if you should discuss your relative’s mental health here right now..  
Chelsea: Mental health? No! His bones were weak! He once fell and some of his leg bones broke! He never walked normally after that, poor pops..  
Henrik: Uhm.. Babe, that’s not what psychosis means.. What are you on about?  
Lucas: Are you thinking of.. Osteoporosis? The disease in which bones weaken?  
Chelsea: Oh yeah, that one! Well, they are kinda similar, right?  
Carl: Both of them end with -osis! But no, otherwise I don’t think they’re that similar..  
Shannon: Psychosis is an abnormal condition of the mind that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not. Like hallucinations and delusions.   
Chelsea: Ohh.. That makes more sense! I was wondering what Priya’s bones had to do with her going to Sweden, but I just kinda figured that maybe Sweden has some good doctors with expertise in boneology..   
Hope: That’s not a word, hun.. They are called orthopedic doctors..   
Chelsea: Meh, I like my word better. It’s easier to remember.   
Graham: Well.. You’re not exactly wrong there.. But anyway! Is there anything you’d like to share? Like hopes, fears, thoughts, plans..?  
Ibrahim: I feel awful. I don’t want to go back. Moving on after Jo’s death has been so difficult and now I’m made to face that place again.. I don’t know if I can take it..  
Gary: We’re here to support you, buddy..   
Marisol: And if we’re lucky enough, Leif will catch Priya and we don’t even have to go back.  
Lottie: Sometimes we just have to pretend to be braver than we actually are. I think the thought of returning there scares us all, but we have to stay strong for our own sakes, for the sake of our friends and for Priya’s sake.   
Kassam: Just pretend to be Violet Man. It’s not easy to save the world, but he still gets up every morning and tells himself that today he’s going to achieve great things.   
Ibrahim: That’s actually.. A really nice sentiment. Thank you, Kassam.  
Kassam: No problem.  
Rocco: Try and think positively. This time we have police to help us. Help is always close.  
Gary: And now we’re better prepared for whatever is out there. Now we know what kind of creatures loom in that forest.   
Shannon: May Lady Fortuna be in our favor..   
MC: We’re home now. We’ll get packing soon. Lucas, tell us when you hear from Leif. And everyone.. Stay strong. We’ll get through this together. 

~*~

[Priya]  
[The Forest]

It was already late in the evening when Priya had found her way back to the forest. Everything had gone as in a heavy fog - getting into the plane, the flight, the way from Umeå to this forest. She had gotten a lift from a nice old man, who didn’t suspect anything of her. In the airport she had seen a familiar Swedish face, but had managed to sneak away without him noticing her. 

These past few days had been like Hell. The voices in her head had kept telling her to go back. Her blood had drawn her back towards the forest. She kept seeing the cottage, the forest and Ulrike in her dreams, beckoning her to return. To fulfill her duty. To pay her price. Her cow tail had grown back. It was a painful process as it felt like her skin around that area was constantly on fire. She had seen some other small changes in her face and body as well. She had gotten this weird mark on her hip. Her eyes had a little hue of forest green in them now. Her teeth seemed sharper than before and her libido had spiked. 

Those are some of the reasons she had avoided her friends for a while now. The signs were becoming more and more difficult to hide. She had pondered a few times whether she should tell the others about the changes but she had been too embarrassed about it. The life in the city had begun to feel draining and suffocating and she found herself missing the clean air of the forest, the trees, the greenery and the little nature sounds all around her. That is where her soul belonged now. 

She had instinctively made her way to the abandoned house she had once been held as a captive after the trolls had knocked her unconscious. That was also the place where the curse had been lifted on her. She felt her whole body pulsating the closer she walked, her palms sweating in anticipation. She could sense another being like her hiding inside those walls. Her presence was weak, but present. Priya couldn’t help but feel sympathy towards that pitiful being. They were similar in many ways now - they both were never going to see the light again. When it’s over, there’s not going to be a paradise waiting for them. Their whole existence is a sin, a cruel mistake. 

Not only that, but there was a certain attraction between them. She loved that being yet despised her with all of her heart. She wanted her yet wanted to push her away. Being around her was a constant battle between her morale and her pleasure, but she was willing to indulge now as there was nothing to really lose anymore. Her humanity was nearly gone and she had left everything she used to know and love behind when she had stepped in that plane. 

With a confident stride Priya made her way into the house, knowing very well in which room she needed to go. As the other creature’s presence became closer and stronger, Priya’s heartbeat quickened in excitement and the stronger she felt. She must know by now that Priya’s there, too. Priya could feel it in her energy. Her energy beckoned her closer, calling out for help in despair. Oh, how she had grown to love that emotion. Her whole existence was despair, so everyone else was supposed to feel it too, right? 

Priya opened a door and saw a familiar bundle lying on the floor. It was unmoving and still, yet very much alive and slowly healing. Priya walked up to the bundle and squatted down in front of it, catching it’s eye with a small smile. 

“Need help?” Priya laughed and casted a sympathetic look at the poor bundle. 

“Help.. me..” The voice muttered weakly, stirring ever so slightly. Priya chuckled darkly and laid her hands against the bundle, letting energy flow through her. It all felt very natural to her although she had never done anything like this before. The burning feeling returned to her at the contact and at the energy exchange, but she withstood it without even flinching. 

Slowly the bundle on the floor started to regain more strength and look more presentable. Its badly burnt and bloodied skin began healing and it’s red hair was regenerating at a rapid speed. Slowly but surely it began to look much more like it used to look before the incident. Surely every plastic surgeon in the world would be jealous of Priya’s new abilities. 

Ulrike sat up on the floor as soon as she felt like she had regained enough strength to attempt that. Her outside looked almost identical to how it had before, but on the inside there were still some things that needed time to heal. Ulrike pushed Priya’s hands away from her body as she wanted Priya to spare some of her own strength.

“You came.. Finally..” Ulrike breathed out, her voice still hoarse. A small smile found its way onto Ulrike’s lips as she met Priya’s eyes, “I was fearing that you were never coming.. That I would’ve just slowly wither away like a mere flower in September..” She added and slowly raised her hand to caress Priya’s face. Her movements were still stiff and careful, but at least she could move again. 

“Of course I came.. You were persistent!” Priya joked and winked at Ulrike, “But.. Somehow this feels right..” She admitted and melted a little at Ulrike’s soft touch. Her eyes flickered at Ulrike’s lips, a small token of affection that didn’t go unnoticed by Ulrike. 

“Hmh, getting greedy already? Well, I guess you’ve earned it..” Ulrike chuckled as she closed the distance between them. Their lips met and it felt like a swarm of butterflies had exploded in Priya’s chest. The power, the intensity and the lust in that one simple kiss was more than she had ever felt before as a human. It felt like her body had been molded for this, like her brain had been wired to receive extreme reactions from their feverish touches. Priya growled against the kiss, causing Ulrike to giggle and pull away, “Wow, easy there, tiger. I know as a young Huldra your libido might sometimes drive you crazy, but it’ll get easier in time, I promise.. When you’re an oldie like me, you learn how to channel your need into the other participant while keeping yourself more composed.” 

“I can’t help it.. Your touch is intoxicating..” Priya breathed out, her cheeks blooming, “What other abilities do I have now or what can I learn?” She quizzed Ulrike, eager to learn about the new opportunities opened up in front of her. 

“Let me see.. Well, obviously you seem more charismatic and attractive to men. Sometimes to women as well. As you also saw, you have healing powers. We are one with nature and nature is the best mother and healer, so it’s only natural that we can heal. Oh, and super strength. You can bend metal, carry heavy burdens and pick up trees with no problem. You also have different types of seduction, manipulation and persuasion skills, but those better with time and by using them. You can be a little faster than an average human as well.. You can sense and track energies.. And you also have power over every other forest creature.” Ulrike listed Priya’s newfound powers and skills with a sly smirk on her lips.

“Woah, all of that?” Priya questioned and Ulrike nodded affirmatively, “But at what price?” Priya sighed and for a moment felt forlorn. She remembered her friends, her old life and her family in a sudden flash of memories. 

“At the price of your humanity. You’ll live forever unless you’re killed with very specific methods.. You have amazing powers and abilities and you’re super beautiful but you’ll never go to Heaven unless you marry someone in a church.. Oh, and the tail can be a turn off for some, I guess. I’ve learnt to like it, though. Gives me more character!” Ulrike chuckled and gripped her tail, waving it around in her hand while making a helicopter sound. 

“Will it hurt forever? The tail I mean?” Priya continued to ask questions like a small child would. Ulrike shook her head with an understanding smile on her face.

“No, It’ll go away soon. Then it won’t hurt you ever again unless it’s cut off and it needs to regenerate.” Ulrike promised her and Priya felt a wave of easiness wash over her. Suddenly Ulrike stood up, brushing dust and dirt off of her clothes and offering her hand to Priya. Priya took it with a doubtful expression that caused Ulrike to giggle, “Don’t look at me like that. I’ll just give you more appropriate clothes for your ceremony.” 

“Ceremony? What ceremony?” Priya asked, dumbfounded. Ulrike had not mentioned anything about a ceremony.

“Yes. Your coronation. You’re the new Huldra-in-charge. At least for as long as I’ve fully regenerated. After that we can rule together equally. You need to show and introduce yourself to the creatures of the forest so they’ll know to take orders from you and can pledge their loyalty to you. Don’t worry, I’ll be next to you the whole time.” Ulrike explained and Priya suddenly felt nervous. Ulrike had ruled the forest for hundreds of years, would the creatures accept someone like her as their new ruler?

“I don’t think it’s necessary.. I don’t know if they’ll like me..” Priya mumbled shyly as Ulrike took her by the hand and began to lead her into another room. 

“Nonsense! They’ll adore you. And if someone doesn’t, I can always make them love you..” Ulrike smirked coldly and walked into a room with a mannequin in the middle. It was wearing a grand green and pink ball gown dress made out of leaves and flowers, “Wear this. It’s sturdier than it looks. I’ll go and fetch your wreath.” Ulrike added before walking off before Priya could protest.

Priya stared at the dress in disbelief. It was very beautiful and elegant, yet it didn’t quite feel like her.. But what other choice did she really have? Priya stripped of her old clothes and slipped the new dress on, pleasantly surprised that it has a hole for her tail ready and she didn’t have to stuff it anywhere uncomfortably anymore. The dress barely weighed anything on her and she felt like she could move in it, which was always a plus with dresses.

She saw herself in a dusty mirror and stopped for a moment, looking at herself in awe. She looked powerful, capable, sexy yet somehow natural and innocent. A child of nature. It sent mixed emotions running through her head. At the same time she felt great, like she could take on anything and do so much good in the world. But at the same time.. It made her feel like she was losing herself. She wasn’t the same old Priya as she was just months ago. All of those years trying to find yourself and create your brand, only to be taken from you in the matter of months. 

What would her friends think? Would they think she’s beautiful and amazing or would they miss the old her? Does she really have friends anymore? She could see her friends standing in front of her, looking at her with expressions of disgust and disappointment. Blaming her for everything, demanding to know why she chose this path. But did she really choose this path or was she chosen by this fortune? 

A single tear rolled down her cheeks as she thought about her friends and all of their wonderful memories together. She missed them so much already. A part of her would never be filled if she didn’t have those people in her life. Instead that part would be hollow and frozen and no powers or adoration from men could ever fill that hole. 

She quickly wiped the tear away and took in a deep breath as she felt Ulrike approaching. She turned to face to door just in time for Ulrike to arrive with a beautiful flower crown in her hands. It somehow had all of Priya’s favorite flowers in it, catching Priya totally off-guard.

“How did you know..?” Priya asked silently, her breath caught in her throat. She eyed the flower crown and a genuine smile found its way back onto her dark features. Ulrike grinned at her and tapped her nose. 

“I just had a feeling… Glad you like it. It’s your crown. You look lovely in the dress, by the way. Absolutely breathtaking.” Ulrike beamed while complimenting Priya, “But come, it is time to present you to the forest. Don’t worry about anything, I’ll take care of everything.” Ulrike swore and walked up to Priya, taking ahold on her hand. Together they walked to the balcony of the house. To Priya’s surprise, many kinds of creatures had gathered below them. 

Some of them were plain and simple animals, such as bears, wolves, wolverines, deer and birds. Some of them were monsters or mythological creatures, like trolls and elves. There were also some creatures she couldn’t recognize, but she still smiled at all of them as charmingly and confidently as she could, waving her hand. 

“My friends! The day is finally here! You’re finally getting a new maiden. Her name is Priya. Isn’t she gorgeous?” Ulrike winked at Priya, who had to hold back a sudden blush, “Please treat her just like you would treat me. She’s the new Huldra-in-charge as I still need some time to heal and regain my power. When I’m finished, we’ll rule together as equals. If you show any signs of misbehaving or rebelling against Priya, you’ll have to pay and I myself will make sure that you deliver,” Ulrike gazed at the crowd coldly before smiling again, “I have the greatest pleasure to crown Priya as the maiden of the forest.” She finally shouted and placed the flower crown carefully on Priya’s head. The crowd below them cheered. 

“Long live the maiden!” Someone shouted. Priya wasn’t sure what language they were speaking, but she was miraculously able to understand them just fine. 

“I pledge my undying loyalty to her Highness Priya!” Someone else yelled. 

“We will protect her with our lives and listen to her every wish and order!” A third voice called out before the crowd started to mutter silently among themselves before going their separate ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s officially back, baby! This first chapter is quite slow and mundane as it’s mostly for setting the scene, but it’ll pick up again quite fast after this! Any feedback and kudos are highly appreciated! xx


	3. Survivor's Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter the group returns to Sweden.. What will happen when they come back to that cursed summer cottage? What kind of emotions will it bring forth?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning! Mention of su*cide!

After many excruciating hours of ignorance, Lucas finally texted the group about Leif’s news. The news made MC’s heart sink and blood run ice cold as she read the message. 

Lucas: So Leif got back to me just now. He said that he couldn’t find or see Priya anywhere although he looked around at the airport for a long time. He said he has informed the police of the area about her and her description, but no one has come forth about seeing her yet. I’m sorry. It looks like we need to get booking plane tickets for tomorrow..

No one could comment anything on Lucas’ message, letting it stay at the bottom of the message thread. Bobby had silently bought the plane tickets for MC and him while MC had gone to the grocery store to stock up on canned meat and water bottles. They had packed mostly everything else that they had and needed, but hadn't wanted to completely commit to the idea before it was confirmed. Now that the worst had come true, there was no excuse to escape from their duties anymore.

The last night before leaving was absolutely awful. MC and Bobby cuddled in absolute silence yet both of them were aware that neither of them would be sleeping very well that night, their minds racing and fear slowly building up. They both felt as if they were walking straight into a famished beast’s mouth, marinated in delicious spices and herbs. They held each other tightly, fearing that this might be the last time they have a chance to be so close and in private. After what felt like hours of thinking and staring at the wall, MC opened her mouth and spoke barely audibly.

“Bobby..” she began, making sure that Bobby was still awake.

“Mmh?” Bobby mumbled and moved around slightly, his grip on MC tightening. 

“Do you think that.. Ulrike is still alive?” MC asked feebly, remembering their last encounter in the chapel. How that monster had nearly married Bobby, how she herself had objected, how they fought, how Ulrike had used Priya and nearly killed her, how she had seen beyond the veil of the dead and living, how she had riled her up to trap her under the chandelier made out of steel, how she had begun moving again and how Henrik had risked his life blowing up the place.. But was it all enough to get rid of her? 

“I don’t know.. I surely hope so. Maybe that's why Priya needed to go back? Because Ulrike passed and she needed to take on her new rule as a Huldra?” Bobby theorized and began to run his agile fingers through MC’s hair. 

“But why only now? Wouldn’t she have left as fast as she could when we were still in Sweden? Not just wait around for weeks..” MC sighed and could hear Ulrike’s voice echoing in her head, her maniacal laughter filling every part of her mind. 

“Maybe she managed to fight off the urge until she hit her limit? Or maybe Ulrike didn’t die straight away but slowly perished away with no one being able to help her heal..” Bobby said, uncertainty lacing his voice as he added, “Being hurt by her biggest weakness steel, added with being blown up? Not many people could survive that..” 

“But Ulrike is no ordinary human. She’s a spawn of the Devil. She’s.. She’s like pestilence. Difficult to get rid of and even if you think you’ve managed to evict it, it just somehow pops up again when you least expect it to..” MC rambled, her body shivering slightly. Bobby could sense her fear and distress and began to plant soft kisses on MC’s tense shoulders, neck and arms. 

“Let’s not worry about that now, lass.. We’ll uncover the truth soon anyway. And this time we’ll be more prepared, so it’s going to be alright..” Bobby soothed her nerves in a low whisper, managing to melt away some of MC’s tension.

“I just have a bad feeling about this.. Like, maybe Ulrike survived and managed to lure Priya back to help her heal.. And now Priya’s helping her and she’s becoming stronger and planning her revenge on us and..” MC’s voice began to break towards the end before Bobby shushed her softly.

“We shouldn’t speculate, lass.. And besides, even if she survived, I think that she would like to stay far away from us after we nearly managed to kill her.. I’m sure she couldn’t take another chandelier and explosion again.” Bobby smiled in the dark, massaging MC’s shoulders tenderly. 

“I guess you’re right.. We should try and concentrate on gaining strength for tomorrow..” MC sighed and rubbed her eyes, both from exhaustion and the fact that she had nearly begun crying, “Bobby.. I love you..” She whispered quietly and could imagine Bobby breaking into a giant grin behind her. 

“I love you too, MC.” He stated unceremoniously, yet earnestly, pulling MC closer to him again. Feeling more relaxed than before, MC closed her eyes while smiling faintly and trying to fall asleep. 

…

The group met up in the airport a good while before the gates even opened, anxiously awaiting for the check-up. Each one of them had huge rucksacks with them, filled with all kinds of necessities for surviving in a forest. The mood wasn’t cheery in the slightest and the group exchanged careful and uncertain glances every once in a while.

MC looked at her friends with a worried expression, scanning their moods and any possible signs of fear or anxiety. Hope looked like she was about to throw up, holding a small photograph of Noah in her hand. Chelsea was fidgeting with her fingers and tapping her feet with a far-away look on her face. Lucas’ bulging muscles were tense under his tank top. Ibrahim looked like he had just seen a ghost, his face pale and eyes wide. Marisol looked like she hadn’t slept the entire night and just chugged down seven cups of coffee to make it through the day. Henrik was frowning and he hadn’t apparently bothered to shave this morning. Gary looked like a deer in headlights, looking around himself like a paranoid person would. Rocco was anxiously combing through his brunette locks. Lottie was pulling her daily Tarot card, examining it carefully with a confused expression. She caught MC staring at her and flipped the card around, showing her the image. Justice reversed.

None of them were the same after what had happened before. And none of them were looking forward to their trip, knowing very well the price they had paid the last time, without being able to shake the feeling that there might be a price with this trip as well. MC glanced at Bobby who was standing next to her, unable to ignore the dark circles under his eyes and worry in those beautiful amber eyes. MC felt the ring around her left ring finger, wondering how one of the happiest evenings of her life had led one of the most nerve-wracking mornings, disappointing days, anticipatory evenings and sleepless nights.

“Flight UM666 to Umeå, Sweden, is now boarding. Would all passengers please proceed to gate 13.” An announcement blared out, catching the attention of the former islanders. They exchanged strained looks before making their way to the designated gate.

“666? 13? That doesn’t sound too good..” Bobby chuckled ominously and looked down at his feet, trying to force a smile on his lips.

“Are you kidding? 13 is my favorite number! 666 is kinda rad, too!” Lottie smirked and received some unappreciative looks from her friends. Lottie coughed awkwardly, seemingly somewhat embarrassed.

“They’re just numbers, I suppose..” Shannon shrugged and smiled to the group, “Think of this as just a new big adventure. An opportunity to learn.” 

“I think we learnt enough the last time..” Henrik sighed, shaking his head. 

“Yeah, we learnt like, a drinking song in Swedish, and some Swedish words and traditions, oh and that monsters are apparently real and that I can shoot with a shotgun!” Chelsea explained cheerily, moving her hands along to her quick-paced speech.

“Those were some impressive shots, Chels!” Gary complimented Chelsea, who in return beamed back to him. Lottie sighed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. 

“I think we learnt some other things as well..” Lottie said glumly and a grand silence followed her words, each remembering the lessons they had learnt. It was something different for everybody but nevertheless something unforgettable.

The check-up went well enough without any problems. Everything went in a blur after that, feelings of anxiety and the need to run away filling MC’s brain. She had to force herself to move, to concentrate, to speak. Bobby kept holding her hand all the way, squeezing it firmly. Soon enough the group found itself in the plane, sitting down in the cramped space. MC was sitting next to the window, Bobby next to her and Graham on the other side of him. In the row before them sat Chelsea, Henrik and Lucas, and in the row after them there was Lottie, Gary and Marisol.

There was once a stopover in Stockholm, so the flight took about five hours altogether. When they finally made their way to the Umeå airport, they were surprised to find Leif Holmstad and two other Swedish police officers waiting for them. 

“So we meet again. Welcome to Sweden, although I guess none of us are very excited about this reunion.” Leif spoke, his voice calm and deep as he eyed the group, “I see you’ve brought some new friends along too. I’m Leif Holmstad, a senior police officer. Your friends here helped me to find out what happened to my sister and lay her and her son to rest. Helping them around this time is the least I can do to repay them.” 

“Hello, Leif. It’s good to see you again. How are your father and brother?” Lucas asked politely, smiling at the Swedish policeman in front of them.

“The same old, the same old.. But I think they’re both relieved that Anna’s case has finally been solved.” Leif answered nonchalantly. The other two police stepped forward, introducing themselves to the group. 

“My name is Pernilla Gröndahl.” Said the police woman with an approachable smile on her face. She was maybe in her early thirties, had light brown shoulder-length hair and was about the same height as Carl. And Carl certainly wasn’t the shortest guy among their group..

“And I am Markus Rudin. We’re here to accompany you to the summer cottage and help you find your friend Priya.” The man in his mid-forties announced sternly, nodding his bald head casually. The former islanders introduced themselves quickly as well, still somewhat surprised about their welcoming party.

“I think we should start heading towards the scene of the crim-- I mean the summer cottage. We’ll make our plans about how to proceed when we get there.” Leif explained and the group nodded, following the three police out of the airport. The police trio led them to their cars and the group was divided in three. Lucas, Lottie, Gary, Hope and Rocco went with Leif, MC, Bobby, Chelsea, Henrik and Ibrahim went with Pernilla and Marisol, Carl, Graham, Kassam and Shannon went with Markus.

MC had feared that the car drive would be awkwardly silent and tense with them being driven around by a police officer, but Pernilla turned out to be kind of a cool person. She was a bodybuilder that had won some competitions, she was a flutist and in her free time she would help out the local animal shelter. She shared some funny stories about her life, keeping the atmosphere surprisingly light and easy-going despite the unfortunate circumstances. 

“And then my wife told me that I need to stop before I embarrass myself further!” Pernilla laughed after finishing her story about the time that she had dressed up as a Disney princess to her niece’s birthday party and had agreed to do a silly TikTok dance with her other niece. She apparently wasn’t a natural dancer and had managed to knock over one of the tables with a cream cake on it and somehow the cake landed on the birthday girl, who had begun crying.. That video apparently has over 800,000 likes on it for some reason. TikTok is TikTok. 

“That sounds like something I would do!” Bobby laughed, in better spirits after hearing Pernilla’s funny and embarrassing stories.

“Dressing up as a Disney princess to your niece’s birthday party?” Chelsea questioned with a surprised tone, eyeing Bobby in a new light.

“Well, I was thinking more of that knocking a table over while doing a stupid dance, but that could work too!” Bobby grinned, causing Chelsea to giggle uncontrollably. 

“Which Disney princess would you be, Bobby?” Henrik asked, playing along for Chelsea’s sake. He didn’t seem quite as upset as he seemed before either.

“Hmm.. Merida is Scottish and wild like me, so maybe her? Sadly I don’t have her hair..” Bobby pondered while scratching his chin.

“Ooh! I wanna be Rapunzel! She’s my favourite!” Chelsea squealed excitedly, clapping her hands together loudly. 

“I guess I’d be.. Snow White. I don’t really know many Disney Princesses..” Ibrahim explained while scratching the back of his neck.

“I guess I relate to Pocahontas the most. She likes nature and adventure, right?” Henrik laughed and turned his green eyes to Chelsea, “Plus, having a pet raccoon would be kinda cool, right babe?” he winked playfully.

“Ew! I don’t want a pet raccoon..” Chelsea huffed and frowned, “But that little green bird was cute in my opinion!” She added as a smile returned to her features.

“I dressed up as Anna to my niece’s birthday party, but I’ve always loved Mulan. She’s the raddest Disney princess of all!” Pernilla voiced her opinion and the rest nodded, agreeing that Mulan, indeed, is a rad Disney princess.

…

When everyone had finally arrived at the summer cottage, the former islanders just stared at the building with different expressions. Some of them looked scared, some reminiscent, others sad and others just stared at it with empty eyes and blank faces. A lot of memories flooded back at once. Someone let out a small sob. 

MC looked around the area, scanning every place for anything out of place. Everything looked like it had looked before. She could see herself sitting on the dock with Hope and Priya while drinking tea.. She could imagine Jo, Noah, Ibrahim, Gary and Jakub returning from their morning jogs.. She could smell the scent of breakfast that Bobby used to make for them.. She could hear Hannah singing The Winner Takes It All in the yard once again. Everything came back in a sudden flash, paining MC’s heart and causing it to break a little. Suddenly Leif’s voice drew her attention back to this world. 

“Okay, so the police have investigated the cottage and the grounds after what happened, but other than that everything should be the same as before. We have gathered all the evidence we could find so you guys are free to live normally while staying here.. And we understand that this all must be quite overwhelming to you guys now, so take all the time you need before coming in.” Leif spoke sternly, his voice softening a little towards the end. Pernilla and Markus nodded in agreement.

“We’ll go in right now to just quickly see that there isn’t anything new there.. Like signs of Priya visiting.” Markus muttered and the three police officers began to walk towards the summer cottage.

The former islanders were left to the yard to digest everything that had happened and was happening. They really were here again. MC had only seen this place in her nightmares and the pictures and videos after they left and hadn’t thought she would see this place ever again, but yet here they were. 

“Wow, it’s all coming back to me..” Hope whispered as she looked at the cottage with tears in her eyes. She quickly rubbed her eyes and tried to stay composed but didn’t do very well at hiding her sadness and anxiety. 

“There were many good times.. And many bad times. It's a little bittersweet..” Gary sighed and patted Ibrahim’s back. Ibrahim was trembling slightly as he looked at the cottage, completely transfixed to the building. 

“Do you ever get the feeling, like.. You don’t deserve to be here. Like why did they die but I survived? Elisa, Noah, Hannah, Jo, Jakub.. Why did they have to die and not me? Am I really a survivor or a thief?” Marisol spoke quietly, her voice shaking. Everyone turned to look at her, surprised by her sudden outburst. She was biting her lip and clenching her fists, blinking rapidly. 

“Oh Marisol..” Chelsea breathed out and walked next to Marisol, wrapping her arms around her frame, “It’s okay.. You didn’t do anything wrong.” She added while drawing small circles on her back in order to comfort her.

“Maybe not, but I could’ve done more to save them.. We’re all so entitled to be alive..” Marisol said while letting out a shaky breath. Suddenly Graham walked up to Marisol and put his hand on her shoulder, clearing his throat before speaking up.

“That’s called survivor's guilt. It’s normal to feel like that, but it’s not healthy for your mental health. I'd still recommend you work on that part.. None of that was your fault, Marisol. You don’t need to hold onto this guilt anymore. It’s not going to help anyone. Not yourself, not the deceased and not your friends.” Graham said hoarsely, seemingly a little awkward about touching Marisol’s shoulder. After all they used to be a thing and then broke up. 

“Thank you, Graham..” Marisol sniffed and extracted herself from Chelsea’s hug, smiling weakly at Graham while wiping her eyes, “I think I’ve heard about that before, but I still couldn’t quite place my finger on the actual name of this feeling..” Marisol added and furrowed her brows in thought. 

“Yeah, one of my crew members had a really serious case of survivor's guilt when he got into a car accident and everyone else involved but he died.. It was really awful to watch from the sidelines with this feeling of helplessness.. I don’t want you to end up like him..” Graham sighed darkly and looked to the distance with a frown.

“End up like him? What happened to him?” Chelsea asked curiously. Graham sighed again and took a deep breath.

“His drinking got out of control and he..” Graham averted his gaze for a second before continuing, “He ended up taking his own life.. We found him.. Hanging from the ceiling.. It was awful.” Graham’s hands shook as he remembered that moment. A silence fell over the group, no one was sure what to say.

“Oh my gosh, Graham, I’m… I’m so sorry for your loss.. I shouldn't have asked..” Chelsea looked and sounded apologetic for prying further into Graham’s personal life but Graham only shook his head.

“It’s alright. These things happen even though they shouldn’t happen in a perfect world.. He was a great guy, that Dave..” He trailed off for a second before his eyes rested on Marisol yet again, “And that’s why I hope you can work this through.. I’m.. I’m always here if you want to talk about it.” He averted his gaze for just a second, taking his hand finally off of Marisol’s shoulder. He truly was softer than he let on with his rough seadog’s reputation.

“Are we.. Ready to go in?” Carl asked carefully after no one had spoken up after Graham’s latest comment, cracking a careful smile while eyeing the group. His eyes met Hope’s eyes first, who slowly nodded her head and let out a long sigh. After her, Ibrahim muttered something affirmative and lastly, Marisol speaks up.

“I don’t think staying here will help any of us. Or the police. Or Priya for that matter.” Marisol stated calmly even though her emotions were still running high. The others looked at her before nodding and starting to make their way towards the much feared summer cottage. Marisol led the group, confidently striding towards the front door. 

The chairs and the table were still knocked over by the attack. Some of the group members can still recall how Jakub was thrown against them when the trolls arrived. The thought sent shivers down their spines, pained expressions appearing on their faces. 

Marisol was about to open the front door, but stopped just before her fingers could reach the handle. MC noticed that her hands were trembling slightly as she tried to gather some inner strength. Marisol sighed loudly, staring at the door handle intently but unable to touch it. 

“I’m sorry guys, I thought I could do it with no problems, but.. This just seems so.. Wrong. And somehow very symbolic, I guess..” Marisol shook her head while turning to the others, her eyes shimmering with anxiety, guilt and recognition. 

“Take your time, Marisol.. I know you can do it..” MC cheered her friend on quietly, cracking her a small yet encouraging smile. She understood how Marisol must have felt. Although such a mundane task, opening this particular door held a lot of meaning. It was like re-inviting the memories back, those pesky ghosts of the past. It was as if there were supposed to be more people joining them at this moment. Last time they had opened this door for the first time was such a happy, long-awaited moment. But this time it only brought back pain and dread that took ahold of the entire bodies.

“I know it’s just a door.. But it feels like it’s so much more than just a door.” Marisol sighed yet again, turning back towards the door. She stopped to think about something for a short while, her eyes totally glazed over and her body still. Then, after a minute, she smiled victoriously, reaching for the handle again. This time, she touched it, and unlocked the door. It crept open, making a familiar sound that invoked some more memories. 

“Good job, Marisol! Remember, baby steps!” Graham complimented Marisol with a wide sheepish grin, causing Marisol to smile back at him.

“What were you smiling about, Marisol?” Lottie questioned with raised eyebrows, tilting her head to the side ever so slightly.

“I know that this door, this cottage, this place holds in so much sadness, desperation and death that it felt very symbolic to open this door, but.. At the same time, this was the place we shared our last happy memories together. The Olympics of Love, swimming, eating together, gossiping, lounging in the sun, that midsummer’s celebration.. It’s not all darkness and gloom. There’s so much to be grateful for. And I think our friends would want us to remember the happy moments alongside their tragedy. They were alive here with us, celebrating the summer, celebrating friendship and celebrating life. Nothing can take those moments away from us.” Marisol explained, her eyes filling with tears as she remembered those happier moments. Some of the other islanders wiped their eyes as well, understanding yet again that life wasn’t supposed to be taken for granted. 

“I agree. This place used to mean so much to me as a child, and now obviously it doesn’t feel the same anymore, but I can’t forget and deny the times when this place truly felt like home. Those times and those feelings of mine were and are real.” Henrik admitted while looking at the summer cottage with a bittersweet smile on his pale features. 

“This must feel even much more complicated to you than the others, Henrik.. You spent so many of your summers here..” Bobby furrowed his thick eyebrows and gave Henrik a look full of empathy. 

“It does feel weird.. I obviously wouldn’t have brought you guys here had I known what really lurks in the forest and in the depths of the lake.. But that really doesn’t matter anymore. What matters now is that we find Priya, help her and get her out of here, hopefully alongside everyone else here.” Henrik said sternly, reminding everyone of their mission. After that, the group stepped into the summer cottage, a weird wave of nostalgia running through them.

Everything looked exactly like it had looked before. Well, this is not how some of them remember them, but those that were in the cottage when it was attacked surely do remember this scene. The sofas were turned around, the table had been knocked over and there were marks left by an axe on the wooden walls. For some of the islanders, this all sent them horrible flashbacks of the attack. For some of them, it just reminded them of the lives lost during their stay. 

They made their way to the bedrooms. One of them was nearly completely clean while the other was a mess. Their bags were still here, all of their stuff. But they didn’t think about that right now, they just wanted to rip the bandage as fast as they could. 

Marisol’s message written with her red lipstick was still on the mirror, alongside the lipstick still on the counter. Hannah’s blood stain was gone, however. The police must have cleaned it up. Lottie hissed in pain and touched her temples as she looked at the bathroom.

“What’s wrong, Teetee?” Gary asked, running his strong hand down Lottie’s back in an attempt to ease her pain.

“Hannah.. She died here.. I can feel it. The desperation. The fear.. I can smell the blood, I can hear her quickened heartbeat, I can feel the pounding inside my head and on my face..” Lottie spoke, her voice full of agony as she held her head, shaking it violently. The others looked at her with profound sadness, knowing that she was probably right. It did seem to match the description of Hannah's autopsy at least.

After looking around for a while longer and reminiscing, the former islanders decided to go to the police officers to plan what to do next. They gathered around the large wooden table where they used to eat so many times before. Talk about nostalgic. 

“Okay, so have you people tried contacting Priya via your cell phones?” Leif questioned and held a notepad and a black fountain pen in his right hand, ready to write down whatever information he deemed important to the investigation.

“Well, she is in our group chat were we have talked quite a lot, but she hasn’t opened any of our messages..” Gary spoke up and showed evidence to the police. Leif wrote something down to his notepad and looked at the others expectantly.

“Well, I’ve tried calling her multiple times but she hasn’t picked up. I called right after I found out that she was missing and I tried to call her last night, too.” Rocco sighed and shook his head, his long brown hair falling over his eyes.

“Okay, so you’ve tried to contact her recently. Tell me.. Before she went missing, did she behave any differently?” Leif continued after writing something down yet again. 

“Um, yeah, I think so.. After the memorial service she didn’t message us as often, she didn’t visit any of us and if we visited her, she would not open the door or talk through the door crack.. And Priya has always been such a bright, spunky and glamorous woman.. She didn’t really seem like herself..” MC explained with a worried expression.

“What do you think made her act the way she did? Did she use drugs? Did she struggle with mental health? Did you have any fights or quarrels before she started acting weird?” Leif demanded to know, furrowing his brows.

“We don’t know whether she uses drugs or not.. She did go to a psychologist after the trip, but we don’t know whether she was diagnosed with anything or described any medication. And no, we didn’t have any fights. We thought she was only traumatized after out trip..” Hope sighed and shook her head as she tried to find the answers inside her head.

“Would there be any reason she might have wanted to return to Sweden?” Leif quizzed further, pressing down on the issue at hand. The group exchanged unsure looks, not exactly knowing how to explain themselves. Leif did know something about Ulrike and Huldra, but would their explanation sound believable?

“We have a reason to believe that.. She was marked by Huldra and returned because of that. We don’t know if the Huldra that marked her is dead or alive, but whatever it is.. We have a strong feeling that the reason Priya ran was because of that.” Lottie spoke calmly yet sternly, looking at the police officers piercingly. 

“Okay…” Leif narrowed his eyes while looking at each one of the group member’s trying to detect something in their faces before writing in his notepad, “If you have a reason to believe that there is something paranormal behind her weird behavior and escape, then we can’t deny the possibility until proven otherwise.” He added with a sigh. The former islanders’ shoulders slumped in relaxation when Leif didn’t reject their theory right away.

“Oh, thank you for believing us, Mr. Holmastad!” Chelsea smiled and looked like a burden had been lifted off of her.

“I.. I’ve seen it before.. The Huldra, I mean. When I was but a little boy,” Leif coughed awkwardly, avoiding the curious gazes he was getting from the islanders and his co-workers, “I was walking in the forest, picking up berries, when I heard someone talking. As an inquisitive and reckless little boy I obviously wanted to find out who was talking. At first I thought it was a Soviet spy, but soon I found this breathtakingly beautiful ginger girl sitting on a rock. I also spotted her cow tail peeking under her long skirt and remembered the stories my grandma had told me about Huldra. I quickly ran off as I didn’t want to be caught by that being..” Leif told his story in deep thought, massaging his temples.

“Yes! That’s her! She has red hair..” Henrik gasped, nodding furiously, “She introduced herself as Ulrike and told that she’s from your house when I first saw her. I knew she was lying right away as she didn’t know your father’s and step mother’s names.” Henrik laughed and Leif glanced at him with an unreadable expression before taking noted again.

“So, I think that we should try and call Priya again, to see if she would answer. If she doesn’t, I think we need to start looking for her, starting from the grounds and the forest. I think it’s getting quite late though and it would be safer if we started our search tomorrow morning.” Leif spoke and sat up from the chair, followed by Pernilla and Markus.

Bobby quickly took out his phone and found Priya’s phone, putting it on speaker so everyone could hear in case she would answer. The phone rang only twice before going to the answering machine. Odd.

The tried to call her a few more times, but it kept bringing them back to her answering machine. They left a message there for her, hoping that by some miracle she would hear it soon. After that, they decided to clean up the cottage together a little bit before going to bed. 

Cleaning up the cottage brought some more memories as they kept finding stuff that belonged to one of them. They found Ibrahim’s sock from the back terrace. They found Bobby’s apron abandoned in the kitchen. One of Lottie’s crystals was in the bed she used to sleep in. They even found a necklace that had belonged to Hannah from under one of the sofas and Elisa’s eyeliner from one of the cupboards in the bathroom.

“Shouldn’t the police have picked these up as evidence?” MC questioned Bobby as she picked up Jakub’s gym membership card off the floor. 

“We did look for fingerprints on them, but weren’t sure who these belonged to and whether they were crucial pieces of evidence..” a voice said behind them. They turned around quickly and noticed that Markus was standing there, his arms crossed.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to belittle your work, it’s just.. I thought everything would have been taken to the police station for closer examination!” MC quickly explained herself, her cheeks flushing slightly from the embarrassment. 

“It’s fine.. We just didn’t deem a sock or a eyeliner as very important evidence.” Markus shrugged before walking off without another word.

“He’s kinda grumpy, isn’t he?” Bobby whispered in MC’s ear and MC just nodded to him while looking after the bald police officer.

…

The group went to sleep even though their nerves were making them all jittery and fidgety. The policemen had promised to stay awake and watch over he cottage in shifts so the islanders could get a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s adventures. Despite knowing that they were being watched over, they had difficulties to fall asleep.

Everyone slept in the main bathrooms, some of them coupling up to sleep in the same bed despite the narrow space. MC had decided to share the small bed with Bobby, holding him close as she tried to catch some z’s. She wondered whether everyone had already fallen asleep or whether everyone else was lying awake in their beds right now just like she was.

Every little sound made MC jump as she was imagining the worst case scenarios. Ulrike breaking in, the trolls walking on the yard, the ghosts of her friends returning to take revenge, whatever.. She did try and find natural explanations for the sounds, knowing very well that nature and old wooden buildings can make some interesting sounds and creaks, but was unable to trust that what she was hearing was just those ordinary sounds.

She lost her track of time and wasn’t sure whether she was lying there for only minutes or for even hours, just staring at the darkness, trying to detect possible shapes and movement. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Or at least what she thought was a knock. At first she just hid her face on the crook of Bobby’s shoulder, hoping that it was just one of the police officers or that they would take care of whatever was going on.

Then there was another knock. She didn’t hear any other sounds - no footsteps, no speaking, nothing. Someone knocked again and MC just couldn’t ignore it anymore. She quietly extracted herself from Bobby and tried to shake him awake. He was in deep sleep, not reacting to MC’s attempts. She sighed and tried to make sense of the room and remember who was sleeping in the others beds. She tried to wake up Henrik and Chelsea, that were also sharing a bed. Neither of them even stirred. MC bit her lower lip anxiously as she heard another knock. Marisol and Hope were sharing a bunk too, but they wouldn’t wake up either. Lastly she tried to wake up Gary and Lottie, who were the last ones sharing this room. To her relief, Lottie opened one of her eyes, noticing MC’s face and yawning as she sat up in the bunk.

“MC? What’s going on?” Lottie whispered and rubbed her eyes tiredly. 

“Someone’s knocking and no one is answering the door..” MC said, stress evident in her voice. 

“Let’s go open it then. Maybe it’s Priya.” Lottie sighed and stood up from the bed, leaving Gary behind. The two girls tiptoed through the cottage towards the front door and head another knock. Someone was still behind the door. The three police officers were sleeping on the sofas, so much for one of them staying awake in shifts.. MC and Lottie stopped in front of the front door, exchanging worried glances. The air around them felt chilling and still, as if some unknown power was trying to warn them about a lurking danger. MC slowly reached her hand towards the handle, gulping loudly as she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the front door. 

“Just do it. I’ll be right here..” Lottie whispered as MC’s hands finally touched the handle. MC nodded slowly and added pressure to her hands, ready to pull open the front door. A loud click and creak could be heard as MC opened the door carefully, her eyes widening as she met Priya’s eyes. 

It looked like she had been crying. Her mascara was smudged and there were dark grey trails streaking down her caramel cheeks. Her usually styled and neat hair was full of sticks, grass and leaves. Her whole body was trembling, but in which emotion, that’s something MC wasn’t sure of.

“Priya? What happened?” MC asked silently as she worriedly opened up the door more, trying to let Priya in, but she just stayed put and stared daggers at MC.

“Why did you give up on me?” She muttered silently as she shook, a hurt look plastered all over her face, “Did you even ever care about me?” She asked a little louder, clenching her fists as anger blazed in her brown eyes. 

“Excuse me? Priya, what are you talking about? We were all so worried about you!” MC tried to explain and calm Priya down, but it all proved to be for nothing. Priya wasn’t listening to her. MC glanced at Lottie who just kept staring at Priya with her mouth hanging open.

”Did our friendship really mean that little to you?” Priya’s voice was now louder and nearly maniac, “I should have killed you when I had the chance! You don’t deserve to live!” Priya screamed and lurched forward, knocking MC down and wrapping her hands around MC’s neck, adding a lot of pressure. MC tried to scream and struggle, but no sound came out of her mouth. She glanced at Lottie, silently begging for help. Lottie looked at the situation unfolding in front of her with a horrified expression, backing away from Priya and MC.

“This can’t be happening..” She whispered loudly, shaking her head, “Don’t worry MC, I.. I’m going to wake Bobby up!” She quickly turned and ran towards the bedroom. Waking Bobby up? How is this going to help her in any way? He didn’t wake up last time, either..

MC just stared at Priya’s enraged eyes with emptiness. There was nothing to do. No one was going to save her. The police officers were sleeping soundly next to them, not waking up to the ruckus. Lottie had ran off and Bobby hadn’t woken up when she herself had tried to wake him. No one was coming. She was all alone, overpowered by one of her best friends.

MC’s vision was going dark and blurry around the edges as the pressure around her throat would not ease. Her heart was hammering quickly against her rib cage, warning the whole body about the shortage of oxygen. She let her limbs go limp and closed her eyes, waiting for death to take her away from this terrible situation.

But death cast her gaze on that wretch and turned away, not taking pity on her suffering but letting it go on, last, continue until the end of time.. That was until MC opened her eyes again. She was staring at the darkness and the darkness was staring right back at her. MC was unable to figure out where she was in that darkness. There was still a small pressure on her neck, making her feel more uncomfortable rather than suffocating her. She raised her hand up to her neck and rubbed it gently. That stung but there was nothing there.

MC realized that she was wrenched in sweat, her hair sticking to her skin unpleasantly. Her breathing was ragged and million thoughts swam around inside her head. Slowly she began to make out where she was. She was still in the bed, sleeping next to Bobby, safe and sound. She only heard the sounds of Lottie’s snoring, no knocks or Priya’s screams could be detected.

What a horrible nightmare…

~*~

[Priya]  
[The edge of the forest]

Priya was standing behind the trees, hiding in plain sight as she heard familiar sounds from the summer cottage’s yard. She peeked to see what was going on curiously, only to notice that her friends had followed her to Sweden. They were probably looking for her..

Knowing that caused mixed emotions within Priya. On the other hand, she was glad to see them again and happy to know that they cared about her enough to follow her, but on the other hand it made her feel very depressed and blue. She couldn’t just go up to them and have a laugh with them just like she used to do. She couldn’t communicate with them in any way. The forest was her home now and the multitude of creatures hiding in it were her new friends and family. 

How she wanted to run up to her friends and hug them tightly, to bid them to go back home and not to worry about her. She had so much to say yet no opportunities to say them out loud. Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at her friends, knowing that she could never return to her old life or start anew.

That thought brought up new feelings, ones that she couldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams to be feeling. She felt anger and bitterness, jealousy even. Her friends had something that she didn’t own anymore. Something that she had taken for granted and she knew her friends were probably still thinking of as something eternal.

Humanity. Her friends were human beings with the sensations, feelings and experiences of a human. But Priya had lost it all. Crudely her humanity had been snatched from her, taken away, stolen. A part of her had been murdered, yet there was no way for her to get justice. It hurt to know that she would either live forever while tricking men and possibly killing innocent people while her friends get to get married, have children, fulfill their dreams, travel and grow old together.. Or she would have to perish and go somewhere dark and miserable with no exit. There were no other choices for her. No true happiness would ever be found from the end of either of those paths.

Suddenly Priya’s gloomy thoughts were cut short by a familiar sound from somewhere in the forest. Beautiful music called out to her, beckoning her closer. She knew instantly who was playing that gorgeous yet sorrowful tune. Priya gazed at her friends for one last time - they were going inside the cottage now - and turned around, beginning to walk towards the source of the music.

Priya arrived next to a small pond in the forest. The water was beautifully clean and pure, a beautiful clear blue that allowed you to see to the bottom of the pond. It was nearly like a mirror. Priya looked at her reflection while realizing that the fiddle music had ceased. Before she could look around for the creature in her mind, she saw a black mass ascending from below the surface. Priya held her breath as the creature came closer and closer..

A rather skinny man with bluish gray skin and dark, long hair swam to the surface with a smile on his face. There was something innocent and untouched yet wicked about that smile.. The creature climbed on a stone peeking out of the water, finally showing himself off in his full glory. He was completely naked, his nails were long and dark like claws and his eyes were large and glowing in the hue of dandelion. 

“Good evening, Priya. I’ve heard a lot about you. But do you know who I am?” The creature asked and grinned with her sharp slightly yellow-tinted teeth in display. His voice was something quite indescribable - it sounded like he was gurgling water deep in his throat all the time. It was deep like the ocean and monotone like the songs of the whales. But Priya is not fooled by her talking voice as she has heard him singing before. How can someone with such a weird speaking voice have the most wonderful singing voice?

“Of course I know who you are. You’re Näcken.” Priya shrugged nonchalantly, examining the water creature in front of her eyes.

“Oh yes, so you don’t REALLY know me. Typical,” Näcken rolled his eyes but never stopped smiling, “Maybe I’ll tell you my story at one point. But right now I have more important matters to tend to. As you might have guessed, I didn’t lure you here just for your company or killer looks.” 

“Oh? You think I’m pretty?” Priya winked and twirled her hair before she could stop herself from acting out of Huldra’s instincts, feeling stupid afterwards. Luckily for Priya, Näcken only laughed wholeheartedly at her antics, “I meant to actually ask you why you lured me here then.”

“It’s rather simple, really. I’m here to make business with you, dear. You’re new to your job and you might not be familiar with how things work around here, so I’m here to clear up some things for you..” Näcken began talking and watched Priya carefully, making sure that she followed along, “As you know, you’re the new ruler of the forest, the maiden. You have power over many animals and monsters that roam this forest, but there are few expectations. I am the ruler of the water creatures, including fish and other water animals and also underwater monsters. I haven’t always seen eye to eye with Ulrike so our relationship is… Not the best in the world. But I’d like to stay civil and in friendly terms with you however, as long as you respect the bodies of water and do not interfere with my kind, understood?”

Priya thought about it for a moment. This was new information to her. She hadn’t even wondered whether the water creatures were part of her kind or not, but now she got the answer. Priya met up with the expectant gaze of Näcken before she spoke up.

“Deal. We’ll both just do our own things and don’t meddle with each other’s businesses, yeah?” Priya smiled confidently and flicked her long hair sassily over her shoulder. Näcken grinned back at her, nodding.

“Deal. It was pleasurable to make business with you. You’re much more sensible than Ulrike..” Näcken shuddered at the mention of Ulrike, afterwards bowing his head to Priya before picking up his violin and playing a fun little melody to her. Priya laughed and danced to the melody for a short while before excusing herself. Näcken continued playing without another word to Priya when she walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone catch that reference to another dating game? ;) Feel free to comment the answer down below if you figured it out.. The first time can get a virtual cookie for me! But seriously, thank you for reading this chapter, it does mean a huge deal to me.


	4. Where the Past Meets the Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out beloved group makes it way to the forest and right away encounters something odd. Priya is introduced to a new creature of the forest - but is it a friend or a woe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's me! I know it's been a looong time. I'm so so sorry. Truth be told, I stopped playing the actual game when I started writing Midsummer Week's Nightmare due to the lack of time and then I got into another fandom and had a lot of school stuff.. I just lost my inspiration to write this one. I hope I can get back to this though, I've still been thinking about it a lot and I started to pay LITG again yesterday after not playing it for way over two months.. But I hope you're all doing well during there difficult times. Stay safe and stay healthy! xx

[The big group]  
[Summer cottage]

MC didn’t dare to fall back asleep after the horrible nightmare she had, only clinging to Bobby while going through what had happened in the nightmare. Everything that Priya had said to her had really gotten to her, hurting her heart and making her wonder whether Priya was actually feeling like that about her.

 _Why did you give up on me?_ Was there something more she could’ve done to prevent all this from happening? Did she concentrate too much on her own feelings, traumas, fears and thoughts and failed to see how much Priya was hurting? 

_Did you even ever care about me?_ She did. Priya was one of her closest friends during their time on Love Island and even afterwards. But did she ever thank Priya for her friendship, advice and their long talks? Did she listen to Priya enough to make herself feel loved? 

_Did our friendship really mean that little to you?_ What if Priya really felt like MC had thrown everything away especially as she rarely reached out to her after their trip to Sweden? Did Priya feel like she was giving more to their friendship while receiving less back? 

_I should have killed you when I had the chance! You don’t deserve to live!_ Who made the decision that she got to live while five of her friends had to perish? And not only that, so many people lost more than she had. Hope and Ibrahim had lost their significant others, Marisol had lost her chance with Elisa and Lottie had lost her best friend. MC had nearly died, but somehow returned as her late friends and encouraged her to go back. What if she hadn’t gone back? Why did she get a chance to return when no one else did? 

“Morning, beautiful..” Bobby whispered to MC’s ear softly and kissed her cheek tenderly before nuzzling his head into her hair. That stopped the stream of MC’s thoughts, reminding her of one fact that she knew for sure.

If she had passed away that day, Bobby would have missed her dearly. She knew Bobby so well that she could be sure that moving on would have been extremely difficult to him and her death would’ve maybe made him feel guilty Especially knowing now that he had planned to propose to her for a while before.

The sunlight crept in through the blinds and the birds were singing their joyful sounds as MC considered getting up. There was no way she could fall back asleep after the nightmare she just had and all of those thoughts that were torturing her mind. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before looking back at Bobby.  
“Good morning..” MC’s voice sounded quiet and tired as she tried to slip a small smile to her fiancé. Bobby’s brows furrowed at MC’s tone and he caressed her face softly with his hand. 

“I know that tone.. What’s wrong, lass?” He questioned and stared deep into MC’s eyes as if he was trying to find the answers there. 

“I just saw a horrible dream.. Gosh, I don’t even want to talk about it.. It makes me feel awful just thinking about it..” MC inhaled deeply and pressed closer to Bobby’s body, trying to register his scent, the feel of his muscles and the thump of his heart into her brain so she would never forget those for as long as she lived. 

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but feel free to share anytime if you change your mind..” Bobby reassured her and pecked her forehead comfortingly, “You were probably so stressed about today that it translated as a nightmare..” He added logically.

The two of them just laid there in the silence for a while, enjoying the calm before the storm. They couldn’t be sure what was waiting for them in the forest and when again they would get to share a moment as intimate and peaceful as this. Suddenly there was a sharp knock as the bedroom floor and before anyone could answer, the door flung open forcefully.

“Everyone get up! We have no time to spare!” A feminine Swedish accent called out and MC whipped her head around just in time to see Pernilla’s face before she left for the other bedroom. MC heard Gary groaning in his bed and someone quickly sitting up in their bed, hitting their head to the upper bunk in the process. 

“Where are we? In an army?” Bobby laughed before sitting up carefully and looking around the room. MC followed suit, trying to ignore her feeling of weariness. 

“This is the worst…” Hope sighed deeply as she sat up, rubbing her temples in annoyance. Slowly everyone got up and began to dress up in clothes appropriate for hiking and making sure that their bags had everything they needed for their journey. Not knowing when you will return - if you will - was the worst feeling in the world for them. 

One of the police officers - surprisingly, Markus - had prepared everyone some porridge for breakfast. They ate in silence, silently grateful for Markus’ consideration. As they were finishing up, Leif broke the silence as he brought something for his rucksack.

“Okay, so we’re going to keep camp here to see if Priya or any of you would return here, but we’ll always be a call away.. That’s why I’m giving some of you walkie talkies so you can contact us even when there’s no internet connection.” Leif explained and gave MC, Henrik and Carl one walkie talkie each, “Contact us if anything out of the ordinary happens or if you need any assistance. We’ll be close by.”

MC, Henrik and Carl nodded seriously, taking the walkie talkies and putting them into their rucksacks. They exchanged strained gazes, suddenly very aware of their responsibilities and accountabilities. If something were to go wrong in the forest, they were the ones that had to act fast and make possibly even lethal decisions. 

Leif gave some more instructions and orders to the group, otherwise everyone else was quiet like graves, anxiety building up in their stomachs and threatening to spill over. Bobby held MC’s hand underneath the table, squeezing it gently and occasionally drawing shapes with his thumb. MC could still tell that he was bricking himself, but trying to hide his worry for the sake of the others, for the sake of her. 

After everyone had finished eating, Pernilla picked up the empty bowls and utensils and brought them to the kitchen, beginning to wash them. They group sat in silence for a while, no one really knowing what to say or to do next. Deep down they all knew that it is time to go, time to face their fears and trauma, time to find Priya and bring her back home. 

“Well, I guess we better get going.. The later we push out departure, the less time we have to look for Priya. Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll find her before the nightfall..” Henrik sighed and got up first, eyebrows furrowed in worry yet a gleam of determination shining in his forest green eyes. 

“I agree. We’re not accomplishing anything by sitting in silence and shying away from our mission.” Graham spoke next, standing up as well. One by one, the rest of the islanders stood up as well while muttering something under their breaths. 

“Wait! I gotta pull my daily Tarot card!” Lottie suddenly shrieked and took her trusty Tarot deck out of her rucksack.

“You’re taking your deck with you? I don’t think a Tarot deck is a necessity for survival in the middle of a forest..” Marisol sighed and rubbed her temples. Lottie didn’t answer but looked at her cards with a great deal of focus, letting her intuition lead her to the right card. She plucked out one of the cards slowly and turned in around to see the picture. She swallowed hard, her face going ashen before showing the card to everyone else.

“9 of Swords. It represents anxiety, nightmares, depression, guilt, regret, remorse and despair,” Lottie explained glumly and let out a long sigh, “Guess it’s fitting enough knowing what we’re going to do.. But it would’ve felt much more encouraging to receive something positive, like the Sun or the Ten of Cups or something..” She explained and started to put her cards away. As she did so, one card jumped out of the deck and landed on the table, revealing the picture underneath.

The Tower. Everyone stared at the card in silence. 

“Does that mean Priya is hiding in a tower?” Gary scratched his head, not sure what the card means in Lottie’s terms. 

“Omg! Is she Rapunzel? Do we need to save her from her evil mother who is keeping her hostage in a tower? I’m not sure if Priya’s hair is long enough though..” Chelsea squealed, fidgeting with the tips of her shoulder-length blonde hair absentmindedly.

“No! The Tower is the 16th Major Arcana and it represents…” Lottie trailed off as she picked up the card and stared at it, “Chaos, destruction, loss, disaster, tragedy, pain, unexpected and sudden changes as well as emerging truths.” Lottie sighed and put the card back to her deck before quickly stuffing it in her bag before any more negative cards could fly out of it. 

“Why do I get the feeling that the spirits are trying to warn us about something?” Bobby laughed awkwardly and looked down at his feet. 

“That’s because they are. Going back to the forest is the worst mistake we could ever make..” Hope sighed and looked outside of the window with a pained expression.

“But we have to see this through. We can’t let Priya be consumed by the forest. We need to save her.” MC sighed and bit her lip anxiously, remembering Priya’s words in her nightmare. Even though it was only a dream, she had decided that she needed to start doing right by her friend. More so than she had done before. 

“I agree with MC. I don’t like defying the wishes of the spirits, but we aren’t going to get any good karma if we don’t help Priya out.” Rocco explained with a serious expression. Lottie rolled her eyes at Rocco’s comment, muttering something about ‘good karma’ and ‘cheater’ silently. 

The group just checked their bags one more time before heading towards the forest, out of the cottage, leaving Leif, Pernilla and Markus behind. MC felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest as she set her feet in the familiar forest path. Bobby never once let go of her hand, instead squeezing it tight in fear that someone or something was going to take MC away from him. 

The forest seemed calm enough - birds were singing their joyful songs, the wind was quiet and the sky was clear of clouds. It was as beautiful a day as any, yet the trees seemed taller and the shadows darker and more sinister due to their memories. MC had walked this path so many times in her nightmares, and actually being back twisted her stomach uncomfortably. No one dared to speak up. Henrik led the group, his movements rather stiff and careful. Everyone focused on using their five - in Lottie’s case probably six - senses to detect any possible signs of danger. 

The sun was shining yet it didn’t quite warm them up. It felt distant and as if it had forgotten to make sure its rays would reach the wanderers. A shiver ran down MC’s spine as every moving shadow and the sound of nature nearly made her jump. Her senses were certainly heightened by the adrenaline pumping down her veins. But they couldn’t turn back anymore even if their internal voices were screaming them to leave. This was the path they needed to take. 

“Priya!” Chelsea suddenly screamed and everyone stepped in their tracks, looking around wildly and trying to spot the familiar character. But they saw no one no matter how hard they looked. 

“Why did you scream her name?” Carl questioned fidgetly while looking from side to side.

“She’s never going to hear us if we don’t call for her! We need to let her know that we’re here, right?” Chelsea frowned and eyed the group as if they had just slept on an important factor.

“We may alert Priya that we’re here.. But we also may alert someone else. Or something else. Something more.. Sinister and dangerous.” Kassam huffed out an annoyed breath of air.

“But we’re only calling for Priya, not anyone else! They need to mind their own business!” Chelsea insisted and called out for Priya again. No answers. 

“This isn’t a telephone, Chels, where you can choose who to contact. It’s a forest. Anyone can hear us and decide to look for us.” Hope sighed and rolled her eyes. 

“But, but..!” Chelsea tried to find a great counter-argument but couldn’t find any, “How are we ever going to find her then? The forest is so large and we’re so small..” she sighed, her whole demeanor defeated. MC walked up to her and wrapped her arms around Chelsea, giving her a comforting squeeze. 

“We need to find clues about her possible whereabouts.. And just get lucky.” MC frowned slightly as she looked at the other former islanders. They all suddenly seemed so weary and gloomy, so different from their glory days on Love Island. Maybe it was just the seriousness of their mission, maybe fear, maybe worry. It’s as if they had aged ten years in the last couple of months. 

“But where do we start? She could be anywhere in here..” Graham asked and stroked his beard, his eyes scanning the woods for any signs of human intervention. 

“I think we should try and find that bunker again. Last time it seemed like a safe enough place to stay. Maybe we can return there when the night falls,” Henrik explained and the rest of the group nodded, agreeing with his plan. Some of them seemed confused as they had never seen the bunker, but decided to follow along. Henrik looked around for a while, took out a compass and watched the arrow spin before it landed, “I think it’s this way, but I’m not sure. Say anything if the place seems familiar or you notice any landmarks..” Henrik said determinedly and began to lead the group along one of the paths. 

It was a long-shot, yes, but they really didn’t have anything else to go off of. The group followed in silence, even the smallest of sounds making them jump. Bobby took hold of MC’s hand again, and Chelsea held the other one, unwilling to let go of her anymore. 

All of a sudden Bobby stopped dead on his tracks and his body tensed. MC looked at him with worry but as he didn’t speak up, she took a better look at her surroundings as well. It took a moment for her brain to process it, but then she saw the bloody patch on a rock. 

“It can’t be…” MC mumbled, violent flashbacks returning to her mind. Bobby’s screams, her screams. She could feel Lucas’ arms grabbing her and pulling her behind the tree again. She remembered Bobby’s eyes as that thing took him.. Cold sweat broke out as the whole world began to freeze around her. She could feel Bobby shaking just a little bit next to her.

“It’s the place.. The place we were attacked..” Bobby explained to the rest of the group that had turned to look at him as well. Realization dawned on Lucas’, Chelsea’s, Lottie’s and Gary’s faces as they recognized the place as well.

“At least we know we’re close now..” Lucas sighed as he patted Bobby’s shoulder. He then looked around for the large tree and pointed to their left, “Here’s where we ran after the attack.. The bunker should be this way.” he continued before shooting a glance at MC’s direction, making sure she was coping with the memory. 

MC took a deep breath and squeezed Bobby’s hand tighter before the group moved along. She felt more at ease as the further they walked from the general vicinity of that area. 

It didn’t take longer than 10 minutes until they finally spotted that familiar bunker door. Henrik walked up to it first, listening for a while for any noises coming from down there. He looked up to the others and shook his head for a moment with a small smile on his face, opening the bunker door and peering down. Everything seemed fine. 

Henrik began to descend down into the darkness, the rest of the group gathering around the door. Some of them looked around for any approaching dangers from the forest, others after Henrik. They could hear Henrik jumping to the cement floor and the echoes of his footsteps, but nothing more. Just when they were starting to become anxious, they heard Henrik’s familiar voice.

“Um, guys? The coast is clear, you may come down! But.. Something is off..” Henrik shouted at them. The former islanders exchanged worried glances before beginning to go down one by one. 

MC could tell right away what Henrik had meant when she looked around the familiar bunker. It was a mess. The bed had been knocked over, the books had been thrown all around the room, the wooden chair had been smashed into pieces and along the walls ran muddy and bloody handprints. Human’s handprints. She heard Chelsea scream next to her.

“Those handprints.. Do.. Do you think they’re.. Priya’s?” Hope questioned with a wobbly voice. Lottie walked up to one of the clearer handprints and put her hand above it, comparing the sizes. 

“These handprints seem to belong to a woman judging by the size.. But we can’t be sure whether they’re Priya’s..” Lottie sighed and let her hand flop down, eyebrows furrowed. 

“Uh, guys.. Look over here..” Kassam suddenly called out and everyone flipped their heads towards him. With wide eyes, he pointed at the fallen bookshelf.. And a large hole in the wall. Someone gasped. 

“A hole in the wall.. How didn’t we notice that before?” Gary shook his head and carefully treaded closer, looking into the darkness, “It seems like there’s a corridor here.. But I’m not sure.” He added and tried to walk in there, but Kassam stopped him.

“We shouldn’t go there. It could be dangerous,” He frowned and seemed thoughtful for a moment, “Let me rephrase that. At least we shouldn’t all go in there. Some people should guard here. It’s clear someone has been here and we don’t know when they’re coming back.” 

And that’s what they did, by flipping the coin they decided who would stay back and guard and who should explore the hole. Heads for exploring, tails for guarding. 

In the end, Lady Fortune decided that Gary, Rocco, Kassam, Ibrahim, Hope and Chelsea should stay back to guard and Graham, Marisol, Carl, Shannon, MC, Bobby, Lottie, Lucas and Henrik should explore the dark corridor. 

The explorer group took out their flashlights as they embraced the darkness in front of them, hearts pounding. No one knew what would be waiting for them down the line. With careful steps, they slowly disappeared from the sights of the rest. 

No one dared to speak, fearing that something unknown was lurking in the shadows. The corridor was cold, murky and moist and they could not find any signs of other people before them walking through it. 

“I wonder who made this..” Bobby asked quietly, but everyone else shushed him in fear of being heard and he quickly piped down.

After walking what seemed to be forever, they noticed that they were walking slightly uphill. The group exchanged surprised looks but continued forward. They eventually arrived at a cave that was partly underground, partly above ground. A weak stream of sunlight found its way to the chilly cave but did not offer much warmth or consolation whatsoever. 

Bobby walked to a certain spot before anyone could stop him, as in out of pure instinct. He knelt down and picked up something. MC looked at what he was holding but couldn’t quite make out what it was. It just looked like two wide strings of leather..

“This is it.. I was imprisoned here by whoever - or whatever - captured me back then. This is where Rahim and Jo found me, and--” Bobby rambled as he looked around the room, pointing at the small window and the door, memories flooding back, “Oh, Jo.. She saved me but.. I couldn’t return the favor..” Bobby shook his head in remorse and squeezed the leather strains in his hands. 

“It’s good that Ibrahim stayed to guard.. He probably would’ve freaked if he saw this right now..” Marisol sighed and offered Bobby an empathetic look.

“Don’t blame yourself, Bobby. Blaming won’t help anyone here. Blame is gonna get one of us killed if we’re not careful.” Graham frowned and let out a long breath, “We shouldn’t explore this place further now. Let’s go back and tell everyone what we found. I don’t have a good feeling about this place..” Graham continued and the others slowly nodded, turning back.

Only Bobby stayed put, looking at the leather strains on his hand for a long moment. If he concentrated hard enough, he could still see Jo and Ibrahim up there, hear their voices, remember the pain his body was in back then.. But it was all in the past. He glanced at the window for one last time, mumbling a small thank you to Jo and let the leather strains fall back to the ground before following the group. 

The way back seemed to go faster than the way in as they were more familiar with the corridor now and their minds were already mentally back in that bunker, eager to tell the others what they had found. But they could’ve never prepared for what they found waiting for them in the bunker.

“Oh Lord, what on earth happened here?!” Shannon yelled as she was the first one to exit the hole. Everyone that had stayed on guard was now lying on the floor, presumably unconscious. Everything else seemed to disappear. How could this be?! They never heard any sounds of struggle and they couldn’t have stayed there for that long, how was everyone knocked out?! Lottie ran quickly up to Gary, Henrik next to Chelsea and Lucas walked up to Rocco. Shannon went to check up on Ibrahim, Carl knelt next to Kassam and Marisol tried to wake up Hope. MC and Bobby exchanged panicked glances as the reality of the situation galloped in.

Had someone been in the bunker while they were gone? 

~*~

[Priya]

The last few hours of Priya’s life had been jumping from feeling unstoppable and extremely sexy and powerful to her hating herself. She was losing more and more of her humanity, she was slowly forgetting how to feel empathy, how to love and how to feel truly happy. But at the same time, she had all of these amazing powers, she felt like a real succubus and like she could move the mountains.. Nothing was the same anymore. 

Without even really noticing where she was going, she realized that she had found her way to a small clearing with a large ash tree in the middle. She decided to take a break for a while to really gather her thoughts and sat down under the tree, leaning against its broad trunk. She felt at peace there as she felt a certain oneness with nature, for the first time in a while she really let herself breath. 

“I don’t really know how to feel.. Is humility a burden that keeps me from achieving something greater? Or is it a gift that allows me to love, to laugh, to feel grateful - to feel? I really don’t know. Do I really want to let go of my past as a human, of my friends, my family.. Ugh, everything is so complicated, but I guess I really don’t have a say in this matter anyway.. I was marked by Ulrike and there’s no turning back now..” Priya thought out loud. It felt helpful to say these things out loud, like the wind could comfort her softly and the plants could suck away her worries alongside with carbon dioxide. 

Priya was startled when she suddenly felt movement from behind her. She quickly shot up, wondering if someone had heard her monologue. She looked wildly around but saw no one. That is, until her eyes landed on the ash tree she was just leaning onto. It had a face. A feminine human face. Priya blinked, trying to process what she was seeing. A tree with a human face? She had never seen anything like this.

Suddenly the face opened her eyes and slipped a cheeky smile at Priya before beginning to transform. It's trunk turned into a femine body, still made out of wood and covered with leaves. It’s long hair was made out of leaves and ivy, and instead of feet it had roots. It’s golden eyes pierced through Priya’s soul before she bowed to Priya humbly.  
“I’m honored to have the new maiden of the forest visiting me so soon.. Oh, where are my manners, you probably do not even know who I am. I am Askafroa, one of the magickal beings of the forest and one of your servants, humbly at your service.” She spoke with a distant yet soft voice, emitting a surprising amount of reliability. 

“I’m so sorry for leaning against you! I thought you were just an ordinary tree.. I still have so much to learn, sorry!” Priya laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of her neck, “Are there many of your kind?” 

“No, only me in this forest. We only need one of me, darling.” Askafroa laughed and winked playfully at Priya, who couldn’t help but smile. For the first time it felt like she was talking to a friend, or at least an ally. 

“So what’s your deal? What do you think about humans? What do you think about huldra?” Priya asked, eager to know more about this new entity. 

“I am the guardian of the ash tree. I can play kind and nice to humans as long as they don’t forget to make a sacrifice to me on Ash Wednesdays. If they don’t or if they disrespect my tree.. Well, that’s another story. And oh, I only have respect for your kind. I admire Ulrike and you as the leaders of the forest,” Askafroa explained and stretched her hands lazily, “but to be honest, I’m more interested in you. What’s your deal? Who are you really?” Askafroa smirked and brought her face closer to Priya, golden eyes gleaming with interest. 

“Oh, me? Well, I’m Priya.. I’m into fashion and everything glamorous, my parents moved from India to the UK when I was seven and Ulrike marked me as a Huldra last summer..” Priya quickly explained, not really sure what Askafroa had meant with her question. Askafroa stared at Priya for a few seconds, studying her face and expression intently before nodding and pulling back.

“It is nice to meet you, Priya. Do not hesitate to ask for any kind of help or aid from me. I’m more than happy to serve you.” Askafroa smiled formally and bowed again. 

“Actually, could you.. Give advice on something? Or at least hear me out?” Priya asked quickly, her cheeks blushing for being so needy, but she had some thoughts she could never say out loud to Ulrike. Askafroa nodded and looked straight into Priya’s eyes, “Well, I just feel so lost. Everything is happening so quickly, and I feel like I’m starting to forget about my humility at a rapid speed.. But I’m not sure if I’m ready to let go yet.. I don’t want to forget. Is there really no way to retain even a small amount of what I am, what I was? Or is it selfish to ask for this much?”

“Hmh, those are some tough questions, darling. I am afraid there is no simple answer that could satisfy you. Maybe you could try and write your memories and feelings down onto a diary and return to those moments with the help of your words later? Write down all of your past if you so want to.” Askafroa suggested and Priya thought about it for a moment before her face brightened. 

“Maybe I should do that.. It’s certainly better than anything I’ve thought of! Thank you so much, Askafroa!” Priya smiled warmly at Askafroa and at that very moment she felt more like a human than she had been able to feel for a while.


	5. Laid To Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big group ponders the mystery at hand. Priya returns to Ulrike after her exploration of the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a tad shorter chapter.. But I actually like keeping these shorter every once in a while!

[Bunker]  
[The big group]

MC, Bobby, Lottie, Lucas, Henrik, Marisol, Graham, Carl and Shannon were kneeling over the limp bodies of their friends, inspecting them for any signs of struggle, wounds and looking for their pulses. Much to their relief, everyone seemed to be fine - yet mysteriously knocked out. 

“This is totally an unnatural phenomenon. How often do you find six people all unconscious at the same time while not bearing any signs of being knocked out violently?” Carl wondered out loud as he tried to wake up Kassam by pinching and tickling him to no avail.

“I guess this could’ve happened by some sort of incapacitating agent, or maybe by high levels of carbon dioxide but.. Why are we still feeling fine?” Marisol theorized, tapping her chin in deep thought. 

“Gary.. Can you hear me? Please wake up..” Lottie spoke softly to Gary as she held him in her arms, slapping his cheeks first softly, then harder. 

Shannon was holding up Ibrahim’s legs, hoping that it’ll quicken his recovering process. The others decided to follow her example, slowly remembering what kind of rules of first aid they had learnt back in the school. After a few minutes, the first former islanders began to stir and show signs on waking up.

“What happened..?” Ibrahim muttered as he tries to sit up, but fell back down due to the dizziness. Shannon lowered his legs and let out a relieved sigh. 

“Ouch, my head.. It’s pounding..” Rocco groaned and rubbed his temples without even attempting to sit up. 

“I gotta get.. embroided it on a pillow case..” Chelsea whispered sleepily, barely opening her eyes before closing them again.

One by one, the rest of the formerly unconscious friends woke up, most complaining about their aching heads and asking what happened. MC had forced everyone to take out their water bottles and drink a little more water. 

“So.. Does anyone remember what happened?” Lucas asked and furrowed his brows slightly. Everyone shook their heads after a moment of silence.

“No.. No matter how hard I try to remember.. Nothing.” Hope sighed and sat up while steadying herself against Marisol. 

“In one moment we were just standing there while quietly discussing our mission and then we woke up lying on the floor while you lot were watching us and calling out for us…” Gary spoke quietly and ran his hand through his blonde hair haphazardly. 

Kassam was sitting up while looking around, his mouth slightly hanging open.

“Uh, guys.. Have you tried looking around yourselves?” He asked in a hushed voice, alerting the rest of the group. Everyone looked around, slowly taking in what they were seeing.

The bunker looked untouched once again. The bed was in its rightful place, the chair was in one piece, the bookshelf was back up again and all of the books and pictures were lined up neatly. There were no muddy and bloody handprints running through the wall anymore. It seemed like no one had been there and the previous mess had never even existed. Puzzled, no one dared to speak out loud.

“What.. The.. Fuck?” Graham breathed out and broke the tension that was hanging in the air. People started to whisper to each other, trying to find reasonable explanations to what had just happened.

“Henrik, pinch me! I must be dreaming!” Chelsea whispered loudly to Henrik and held onto his strong arm. Henrik sighed and pinched her, causing Chelsea to yelp and massage the point Henrik had pinched with a frowning expression.

“Maybe we were all in shock and out of trauma imagined this place to be ransacked?” Ibrahim suggested to Shannon and Lucas that were standing nearby. 

“I think this bunker has a weird energy to it..” Lottie complained to Gary and closed her eyes, concentrating on something. 

“We encountered supernatural beings last time. I wouldn’t be surprised if something supernatural was behind this too..” Hope shook her head in distress.

“Aliens!” Bobby suggested to MC with a small smile on the corner of his lips. MC couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at Bobby’s silliness before listening in onto more conversations. People were becoming louder and louder, but the answer wasn’t becoming any clearer. This conversation was not getting them any closer in finding Priya, that’s for sure. 

“Guys! Listen up!” MC shouted, catching the group off guard. The others turned to face her in silence, giving her a chance to speak, “As weird as these previous events have been, we have to move on. First of all, this doesn’t help us in finding Priya, which is our main goal here. Secondly, we don’t know if this bunker is 100% safe anymore. I propose that we get a move on. We can return to this place later if we don’t find any other safe places.” 

“I agree.. Something here feels off..” Lottie admitted and eyed her surroundings suspiciously.

“Feels off? Something IS totally off. A group of people do not faint simultaneously and a room doesn’t change from disrepair to a perfect condition within minutes..” Marisol rolled her eyes.

“I don’t think staying here will benefit us as for now..” Carl analyzed while nodding his head slowly, probably forming some type of a plan or calculating risks and rewards.

“So we’re all in agreement? Let’s go! This place creeps me out..” Rocco announced and began to walk towards the ladder. 

“Wait!” Henrik suddenly shouted and walked towards the bookcase. The group watched his every movement in silence. His fingers ran against the backs of the books on the shelf and he seemed to be deep in thought. Eventually he pulled out one of the books, a heavy looking tome, and put it inside his rucksack, “I remember this book having plenty of information of mythological creatures of the Scandinavian mythology and enchanted objects. We may need this later down the line in case we run into something new,” His gaze stopped onto a picture on the shelf. A picture of Anna Holmstad, alive and smiling. A sorrowful expression took over his features as he remembered Anna’s fate, “Poor girl.. I still think about her sometimes. When I got back home, I did some research on her case. There were so many newspaper articles about her disappearance!” he frowned. 

“She’s free now. In a better place, some would say. What happened to her was awfully depressing, but she and her son are not in pain or stuck anymore..” MC walked up to Henrik and softly laid an assuring hand on his shoulder. Henrik turned to her and nodded slowly. 

“I know.. It’s just so weird.. I remember hearing about her disappearance a few times as a kid and never thought that I would be one of the people solving it later in life.. I truly hope she rests in peace.” Henrik smiled weakly. 

The group slowly made their way out of the bunker, both relieved and anxious to leave. Priya hadn’t been hiding in the bunker, so it really held no purpose to them for now. Finding Priya felt like an impossible task in such a large forest - but there was no way they were going to give up on their close friend so fast.

~*~

[Priya]

After the first meeting with Askafroa, Priya decided to return to Ulrike’s lair with so many thoughts running through her head. She kind of felt like she had found a new friend in Askafroa, but was still suspicious of her at the same time - to be honest, she couldn’t completely trust anyone right now. Not Askafroa, not Ulrike, not her human friends and certainly not herself. 

She thought about Askafroa’s advice. It did make sense. She just wished she could have some pictures and her dearest items here as well.. She decided to at least give her idea a try, but wondered what Ulrike would think. Ulrike had been in the same situation before, but she did not seem to miss her humanity. She seemed to despise humankind, and wanted to rid everything that reminded her of her past. 

With these thoughts, Priya finally arrived at the house, walking in silently and listening. Where could Ulrike be? She wasn’t strong enough to go for longer walks outside, so Priya assumed that she would be somewhere in the house. Priya peered through many doors, not finding much worth mentioning.

Eventually she found Ulrike in one of the rooms. She was lying on some furs by an abandoned fireplace, eating some berries brought by one of the forest animals. Ulrike smiled when she noticed Priya and beckoned her closer with a swift movement of her hand. 

“Ah, Priya, my dear. Come closer. I want to see your pretty face.” Ulrike raised one of her eyebrows playfully and kept a close eye on Priya as she strode next to her. Ulrike slowly stood up herself and stretched her weary body with feline-like movements. 

“Yes, Ulrike? Do you have something you need to tell me?” Priya questioned and flinched slightly when Ulrike ran her sharp fingernails against Priya’s arm before taking a hold of her hand. 

“Not really. I’m just happy to see you,” Ulrike laughed at Priya’s reaction, but a certain coldness was evident behind her eyes, “Where have you been? Exploring your new home, I suppose?” she asked nonchalantly. 

“Um, yes! I just took a casual stroll through the forest. Nothing much happened.” Priya explained and tried to sound and look trustworthy, although she feared that Ulrike might be able to see through her no matter how well she acts. Ulrike’s smile did not drop, but she did squint slightly, trying to figure Priya out. 

“I see.. I hope you know that you can tell me anything or ask me anything you may want to.. Communication is the key for successful governing, isn’t it?” Ulrike smiled and let go of Priya’s hand, turning around and walking to the broken window, looking outside. Priya suddenly felt really compelled to tell her everything.. Was Ulrike using her powers or did she just feel guilty to keep her in the dark?

There was no way she could tell her about her friends being in the forest. The less Ulrike knows about them, the better. Ulrike would probably try to get her revenge in a way or another, no matter how weak she is. Priya wasn’t also sure whether she should bring up Askafroa. She wanted to keep some of her cards close to her chest. But maybe if she told Ulrike about something that she encountered, she would trust her more in the future and not pry as much into her thoughts..

“Well, I did encounter something.. Or someone.. That I kind of wanted to ask you about.” Priya admitted silently and looked down. She could see in the reflection of one of the remaining shards of the window that Ulrike had an interested smile in the corner of her lips. 

“Yes? Go ahead and ask me anything, darling..” Ulrike promised softly but did not turn to face Priya. 

“Well, I was just walking and eventually I heard someone playing a violin and singing.. I found Näcken. He seemed not to get along very well with you, but didn’t give a precise reason for his distaste.. Can you please tell me more about what happened?” Priya asked, carefully calculating what is wise to say about the encounter and what is not.

“Oh yes, he’s a traitor. I hope you don’t associate yourself with him in the future,” Ulrike sighed and finally turned to face Priya again, but kept her distance. There was a small frown on her beautiful features, “We used to be a one big family. The land creatures and the water creatures. Everything was peaceful. I was still the leader, but Näcken was my second in command and had to follow my rules. Then one day he demanded for more autonomy and rights for his people and more power for himself. I did not want to grant him his wishes however as I felt like land creatures are more superior and I’m more capable to work as a leader, but Näcken didn’t take that very well to say the least. He started a revolution. Our family was torn apart. Now land creatures and water creatures harbor hatred and bitterness against each other and we do not work together.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that…” Priya sighed and furrowed her eyebrows, “Näcken also mentioned about you meddling with his business.. What did he mean by that?” Priya looked deep into Ulrike’s eyes in an attempt to find any answers, but her poker face didn’t give anything away.

“Nothing, he’s just terribly delusional. I do not care about his folk. He always thinks he’s better than he really is. In reality he’s a coward with a terrible temper who can’t do anything but to play his fiddle.” Ulrike huffed and crossed her arms, rolling her eyes.

“I see.. Thank you for telling me. I hope I don’t have to run into him many times again..” Priya vowed her loyalty to Ulrike, hoping that she would not further question her conversation with Näcken or about anything else that had occurred earlier.

“I sincerely hope that too.. He’s not worth your time. The only thing we have in common is that we both dislike humans.” Ulrike pouted before her pout turned into a mischievous smile. She walked up to Priya again, reaching out for her, but something Ulrike had just said had made her think more.

“Elisa..” She breathed out, her whole body suddenly tense. Ulrike stopped in her tracks, tilting her head keenly and confusedly until her confusion turned into realization.

“Ah, that was one of your old human friends, right? What about her?” Ulrike smiled sweetly and rested her hand on Priya’s shoulder gently.

“I hope I’m not overstepping any boundaries here, but.. How many of my old friends did you or your folk kill?” Priya asked carefully, scared that Ulrike would get mad at her. She just couldn’t stop or help herself. She wanted to know whether Elisa was actually dead or not.

“Oh, you’re not overstepping any boundaries, my love. You can ask me anything,” Ulrike smiled reassuringly at Priya before falling into deep thought, “Well, I killed Jakub. One of my trolls killed that redhead. And oh yes, that short-haired blonde chick was also killed by one of my trolls. I wish we could’ve gotten more done..” Ulrike complained slightly but a smile returned to her lips quickly.

“So you didn’t kill Elisa? We never found out what happened to her for sure and.. I guess I just feel bad for her.” Priya admitted, her shoulders slumping. 

“No, my kind or I did not kill her. I don’t know about Näcken or other water creatures though,” Ulrike answered before caressing Priya’s cheek and jawline softly, “But I’d recommend you stop thinking about your old friends.. Both dead and alive. You’re never going to see them again anyway. You’re now one of us. We’re your new friends. So stop thinking about them and start thinking about us.” Ulrike’s eyes bore into Priya’s soul, demanding yet seductive. Priya felt her knees buckle slightly under her weight as she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Ulrike’s. She wasn’t sure whether she was using her powers or not, but she didn’t want this feeling or effect to ever stop. 

“I understand.. I just wanted a confirmation before I can finally lay my old memories to rest..” Priya breathed out, her whole body calling for Ulrike’s touch. She leaned closer to Ulrike’s warmth, her newfound Huldra instincts driving her crazy. Everything felt so much more intense. To her disappointment, Ulrike chuckled and took a step backwards, denying her touch from Priya. 

“A-ha-a, I’ll take care of your every need later.. If you prove yourself to be a good girl,” Ulrike smirked and started to walk past Priya to exit the room, “You know I owe you a lot for helping me to heal..” She whispered in Priya’s ear and smacked her bum. Priya let out a high-pitched, surprised moan but before she could even turn to face Ulrike, she had already left the room. 

“How dare she leave me like this?” Priya whined to herself and tried to calm her overactive heart. Surprisingly it only took a few minutes for her to calm down. Maybe it was related to how far Ulrike was from her physically? Priya wondered what else she could learn from herself and from Ulrike if she kept testing their interactions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you trust the most; Ulrike, Näcken or Askafroa? Stay safe and healthy! x


	6. Hear the Drums of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big group keeps looking for Priya but run into someone else along the way..

[The big group]  
[Forest]

A good few hours had passed since the group had left the safety of the bunker, walking through the forest paths while looking for any signs of Priya. The only thing that slowed them down was the fact that Chelsea kept stopping to eat some berries here and there, no matter how many times Henrik had told her that this was not the right time to indulge in berries.

“But I’m hungry and they taste so sweet!” Chelsea crumbled after Henrik had scolded her once again.

“I know sweetie. But we have food in our backpacks, we don’t need to resort to wasting berries just yet..” Henrik explained calmly, yet even he was starting to sound a tad irritated.

“Well, why don’t we stop to eat then? I’m hungry!” Chelsea cried out and looked pleadingly at his boyfriend, “I’m certain the others are hungry too! Right?”

“I can’t imagine eating right now..” Hope said with a certain emptiness in her voice.

“All this stress and anxiety has taken away my appetite..” Ibrahim admitted while frowning.

“Babe, you heard them. Let’s just move on..” Henrik sighed and took Chelsea’s hand into his.

“But I—“ Chelsea was about to protest when Lucas suddenly shushed her, his body tensing up.

“Someone’s there.. Be quiet and hide or lie down silently..” Lucas spoke in a hushed and serious tone, and the whole group followed his orders without complaints.

“Is it Priya?” Gary whispered back to Lucas. Lucas shook his head. At the same time MC finally spotted the figure as well.

“Not unless Priya is suddenly a tall, bearded and bulky man..” Bobby mumbled but no one dared to laugh out loud. They were frozen in place, ready to bolt at any moment in case the man would notice them.

“What if he knows where Priya is? Should we approach him?” Chelsea questioned the group as quietly as she could possibly speak.

“I'm getting weird vibes about him.. Let’s stay hidden..” Lottie frowned and stared at the man intensely.

“Can you all just stop talking? He's going to spot us..” Kassam hissed silently as silence overtook the group. They followed the figure meticulously, trying to figure out who or what he was. MC’s heart beat faster the closer the man came. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she took in his features.

He was a tall man with broad shoulders and a long, unkempt grey beard. He was wearing a chain mail top with a long tunic on top of it, linen trousers and leg wrappings. To top it all of, he was also wearing a dark blue cloak and had a sheathed sword attached to his leather belt. MC couldn’t quite make out his facial features however, but one thing was certain in her mind; whoever this man was, he wasn’t a man of contemporary history. 

The man carried an aura that demanded respect; something that awoke to most primitive feelings within everyone and anyone. MC could almost hear the war drums and unintelligible battle cries of men in her ears as she inspected the man..

And the closer he came, the louder the drums and cries became.

That was until the man stopped and turned around, looking into the distance for a minute. He then turned to look into the general direction of the group once more and just as MC could’ve sworn that the empty void was staring right back at her when their eyes locked, as soon the strange man begun walking off with hurried steps, accompanied by a low grunt.

The group waited in silence for a few minutes, making sure that the man was far enough before they came from hiding or stood up. Henrik was the first one to make a move - he began to walk straight after the man.

“Henrik! What are you doing? Come back!” Graham commanded him quietly but Henrik acted as if he had not even heard Graham.

MC was about to call out after him too until Henrik crouched down and picked up an object off of the ground, inspecting it in silence. Curious, the rest of the group made their way to Henrik to finish out what he was looking at.

Henrik was holding a rather thin, oval object made of some kind of metal in his hands. There seemed to be some pictures or writing on the surface of the metal. It looked old.. Henrik turned it around and let out a muffled gasp.

“What is it?” Ibrahim asked quietly, confusion evident in his tone.

“It’s an old brooch.. They were usually used to fasten cloaks and coats. Hardly a modern accessory..” Henrik explained and turned to see the brooch’s front again. 

“What are those lines?” Chelsea pointed out.

“I’m not an expert on this but I’d guess they are runes..” Henrik answered thoughtfully.

“Yeah, they are runes,” Lottie confirmed, “Viking runes, to be exact.. And as much as I’m into fortune telling and know that casting runes is one method to find out answers, I’m not too educated on runes and their meanings, sorry..” She admitted with a slight blush.

“No need to apologize, Teetee!” Gary attempted to cheer her up and put his arm around Lottie’s shoulder comfortingly 

“I do wonder what these runes mean..” Marisol breathed out in deep thought, taking the brooch gently from Henrik and tracing the patterns softly with her finger.

“Ugh, I should’ve studied runes had I only known that I’d need the knowledge in a life-and-death situation..” Lottie murmured and Gary pulled her closer to him.

“But you didn’t know.. No one is blaming you Lottie but you yourself!” Shannon smiled at Lottie earnestly. The rest of the islanders nodded along.

“I guess we better hold onto this brooch for now. It could be a real artifact from hundreds, even thousands of years ago..” Henrik declared and took the brooch back from Marisol. He then took his rucksack off of his back, wrapped the brooch into one of his shirts to protect it and put it back in the rucksack.

“So.. Was that man a viking then?” Bobby questioned and scratched his head absentmindedly, having difficulties to wrap his head around what had just happened.

“But there are no real vikings anymore even in Sweden, right Henrik?” Lucas turned to face his Swedish best friend.

“What are you talking about Lucas, we are all vikings..” Henrik laughed and winked at Lucas playfully. Lucas chuckled.

“Maybe he was a larper?” Carl suggested excitedly, grinning wide. He seemed to be very much into this larping subject..

“If that’s the case, then that was one hell of an outfit..” Hope grimaced.

“Plus, he didn’t feel.. quite human to me.” Lottie explained and MC couldn’t help but nod along 

“I don’t know whether he is human or not but he did have a weird effect on me..” MC chipped in and caught Lottie slipping her a smile afterwards.

“I agree. He held so much of ancient power to him. I swear I could hear the drums and cries of the past when he was around..” Rocco nodded and MC was caught off-guard; someone else heard that too? A few of the others nodded along at Rocco’s comment understandingly, while some remained oblivious.

“So technically he was walking around with boss music? Epic! I want my own boss music too!” Bobby grinned and the former islanders couldn’t help but laugh at the comment, Carl surprisingly maybe loudest of them all. The air felt lighter and most of the worry and stress had lifted.. Until Henrik decided to open up his mouth.

“Maybe the book I took has some answers to our questions,” Henrik said nonchalantly, “But I think we better get moving again. Staying put while talking out loud in the broad daylight is a death wish here..” he continued and the group nodded, continuing their search for Priya.

…

The rest of the day was rather uneventful, with no signs of Priya, Ulrike or the man from before. Eventually, the group ran into this shallow cave that seemed safe enough to set camp. The group divided into a few different smaller groups; one group went to look for firewood, the second made sure that the cave was safe and secure and the third group contacted the police officers via walkie talkies to report on what had happened.

Eventually a small camp had been set into the cave. A fire was roaring in the middle and the former islanders were sitting around it, huddling for warmth and cooking some food. Sleeping bags were waiting for them on the cold and hard stone floor. It wasn’t the coziest sleeping arrangement, but it was safer than sleeping completely out in the open. 

“I suggest that we sleep in shifts. Maybe two people should stay on guard for a certain time until it’s time for all of us to wake up? The pair should also make sure the fire doesn’t completely burn out so we can have warmth for the entire night.” Henrik suggested and received approving nods and glances.

In the end, the pairs were MC and Bobby, Henrik and Chelsea, Lottie and Gary, Hope and Marisol, Lucas and Rocco, Ibrahim and Shannon and the group of three with Carl, Kassam and Graham, although Graham was stealing careful glances at Marisol a few times. They made a deal that every group would stay on guard for an hour before a switch. Henrik volunteered to be the first ones with Chelsea much to Chelsea’s dismay.

MC set her sleeping bag close to Bobby’s before she went in. She used her rucksack as a makeshift pillow and stared at the dark and high ceiling for a long while. Bobby had already fallen asleep. She could hear Chelsea and Henrik silently whisper to each other every once in a while. Million thoughts ran into MC’s head, but above all she was worried about Priya and praying that she wouldn’t suffer from another nightmare again tonight.

Eventually she had to give in to the sleep and let her body and mind be whisked away by the darkness..

Until she felt a sharp pain to her stomach. MC gasped in pain as she opened her eyes, sat up and looked down. She saw that a sharp sword had impaled her abdomen, soaking her clothes into richly crimson blood. Everything around her went white. She stood up, the sword still stuck in deep. She looked up to meet a pair of green eyes. Lottie’s eyes

Lottie looked shocked, her hands trembling as she looked into MC's eyes, then at the sword and then back at MC's eyes. She opened and moved her mouth, but no words came out. Then Lottie grabbed the sword and pulled it out with a swift motion, tears pricking her eyes. 

The pain was unbearable. Warm blood gushed out of the wound and the torturous pain MC was in forced her to press down on the wound and fall to her knees. There was no way to stop the bleeding. It kept coming and coming. MC looked up at Lottie to see her mouth moving, again with no sound. It looked like she was apologizing. Suddenly, a bony hand grabbed Lottie’s shoulders and dragged her away and MC could do nothing to help her with the amount of pain she was in.

MC let herself lie down, curling up into a fetus position. The pain was overwhelming and now she was all alone. No one heard her cries and moans, and she had lost way too much blood to make it..

Suddenly, quiet voices pierced through the brightness.

“She’s dying.” A feminine voice said with a hushed tone.

“Finally.. Took her long enough.” Another voice, belonging to a man, spoke up.

“It’s okay to let go, MC. Join us..” Another masculine voice echoed.

“All of that blood.. She’s a goner.” A different feminine voice sighed.

“Who.. Who are you..?” MC asked quietly and coughed up blood. The voices she was hearing were familiar but something seemed off.

“You don’t even recognize us? After everything we did for you?” The second masculine voice berated her.

“After everything we went through together?” The first feminine voice said bitterly.

“You never cared about us..” The second feminine voice hissed angrily.

“You should've died instead of us..” the first masculine voice groaned. After that it was impossible to say who was talking.

“Pitiful.”

“We hate you!”

“We’ll torture you forever.”

“Death to the traitor!” 

MC looked up and saw Elisa, Jakub, Noah and Jo looking down on her, scowls on their faces. Elisa spat in her face and Jakub started kicking MC’s cooling body. 

“No, please, I beg of you! I miss you all! Don’t do this to me!” MC attempted to scream but it sounded more like a winded groan. The foursome laughed at MC’s pitiful attempt and joined Jakub in kicking her as if the pain she already felt wasn’t enough for them. 

“No one will miss you.” Noah frowned.

“You’re irrelevant.” Elisa smirked sadistically.

“Just die already!” Jakub shouted loudly.

“Eye for an eye, bitch!” Jo growled, her eyes piercing through MC’s soul.

A heavy weight pushed down on MC’s chest. She couldn’t breathe properly. Her brain was sending a warning signal about the lack of oxygen but her body was no longer responding. A white light overtook her vision and even the former brightness. Coldness turned into a warmth. Maybe an angel was coming to take her home?

“Let her go,” A stern yet sweet voice rang out like a bell, “This is an order. Stop this!” The voice continued and soon afterwards the oppressing sensation on her chest ceased. No one was kicking her anymore. She was bathed in serenity and light. She tried to look at whoever had spoken before but it was too bright to see anything.

“Help.. me..” MC quietly begged the friendly voice. She heard a small snicker.

“You’re already fine. Just wake up.” The voice spoke calmly and softly, her voice echoing in the void made of light. As soon as MC realized it had all been a dream, she woke up.

She sat up fast, terrified from the nightmare she just had. To her surprise, her face was now only mere centimeters away from another face, and she found some comfort in those warm dark brown eyes. The two pairs of eyes stared at each other for a moment too long; maybe it was because of the sleepiness still in MC’s eyes or the fire softly illuminating the dark earthy hues. After a moment, the other person backed off, revealing the identity of those mesmerizing eyes. 

“Oh my, I’m so sorry. Did I wake you?” Lucas whispered silently, a light rouge covering his cheeks. MC blinked a few times, her brain taking a moment to realize what Lucas has asked. She smiled tiredly at the physiotherapist in front of her and rubbed her eyes, fighting back a yawn.

“No, you didn’t wake me, it’s fine..” MC assured the man in front of her. She was too tired to even notice Rocco staring at the pair with intrigue from farther away. 

“Good. I just wanted to make sure.. But well, now that you’re awake.. It’s your and Bobby’s turn to guard.” Lucas mumbled and his eyes quickly found Bobby’s still blissfully unaware form before returning to meet MC’s eyes. MC nodded, but something in Lucas’ brown eyes kept her in place. They seemed so inviting in those warm tones of the fire, in these primal hours of the night when the line between right and wrong is hazed.. Lucas couldn’t bear to look away either, clearly enjoying this stolen small moment with his long-time crush. 

“Mmh, who’s talking..?” Bobby mumbled, evidently about to wake up. Lucas moved as fast as lightning and walked next to Bobby, shaking his shoulder lightly.

“It’s me, Lucas. It’s your time to guard, wake up..” Lucas spoke in a hushed tone. Bobby stirred and his eyes opened slowly, still weary from the sleep. He noticed that MC was already sitting up and followed suit, stretching while yawning.

“Morning Lucas, MC,” He smiled and slowly zipped open his sleeping bag. MC did the same, “Although I guess it’s not technically morning yet, but I’m just happy to see that everyone’s fine.”

“Okay, now that you’re both awake, Rocco and I will hit the hay. Remember to watch over the fire,” Lucas straightened up and started to walk away towards his sleeping bag, but turned to face Bobby and MC one more time, “Oh, and next up it’s Gary’s and Lottie’s turn to wake up.” He added while stealing one last glance at MC. He slipped a smile, mostly reserved to MC, bid them goodnight and continued on his way. Rocco walked up to his place next to Lucas and MC could hear Rocco whispering something to Lucas, accompanied with a snicker and followed with a sigh.

MC and Bobby walked up to the fire and sat down next to each other, staying close for extra warmth. They mostly sat in silence, keeping all of their senses open and alert for any sounds or sights. Nearing the end of their hour, Bobby turned to MC with a serious face. For a while MC was worried that Bobby had seen her and Lucas’ intense staring competition and interpreted it the wrong way, but remained calm outwardly.

“Okay lass, I can see that something's bothering you.. What’s wrong?” Bobby sighed quietly and took MC’s hand in his, running his thumb softly against the soft skin, “Did you have a nightmare?” 

MC mentally sighed in relief and decided that it’s best for Bobby to know about her nightmares, “Yeah.. I’ve seen one last night and one this night, too.”

“Do you want to tell me?” Bobby asked and MC took in a deep breath before nodding. She began to tell about the first dream with Priya; about the things she said and did. Next off she told about the latest dream; about her deceased friends and the bright light and voice. While she was talking about the light and voice, a blue butterfly flew to the cave and circled above the pair for a moment before flying on one of the cave walls and staying there. 

Bobby listened intently, nodding every once in a while to show his listening. Every time he heard distress in MC’s voice, he squeezed her hand or pulled her closer. After MC had finished with the stories, he kissed her forehead multiple times comfortingly and told her that she can wake him up every time after a nightmare. 

“I don’t mean to interrupt your moment..” a voice suddenly says from the darkness. Both MC and Bobby tense up and look around frantically, worried that something evil had found them as they were more concentrated on other matters. Finally their eyes landed on a figure sitting up in the darkness and they realize it’s only Lottie, “But I’ve seen similar nightmares too..” She continued, stood up and tiptoed next to MC. 

“Oh, do you mean just like how we saw the same dream as Anna Holmstad and her baby boy?” MC asked silently and Lottie nodded.

“Kind of. You are yourself and I am myself in my dreams. For example, tonight I saw a nightmare where I was forced to stab you with a sword, and then in panic I pulled it out and afterwards I was dragged away by something..” Lottie explains her side of the dream.

“Why are our dreams connected like that?” MC wondered out loud and Lottie shrugged in deep thought.

“They are like the mirror images of the other dream..” Bobby breathed out and tapped the stone floor nervously. 

“They feel so real..” Lottie and MC said in unison, tensing up as they realize what had happened, but letting out a humored laughter afterwards. 

“Oh wow, you are becoming the same person.. Guess I gotta give a heads up to Gary!” Bobby winked and the girls giggled, grinning at each other. 

“I feel like these dreams may contain a message..” Lottie whispered and stared at the bonfire with a faraway look.

“I know what you mean.. They don’t feel like regular dreams,” MC agreed and added a new log to the fire before a realization hit her. She turned to face Lottie with wide eyes, ”Lottie! It’s our turn to guard, you should be sleeping!” 

“It’s okay,” Lottie laughed and smiled soothingly back at MC, “Your shift is ending in like, 5 minutes anyway. And I was already awake. I know when someone talks about something important,” Lottie reassured MC and slowly stood up, “I’m gonna go wake up Gary soon. Just go to sleep already. You need more sleep after waking up to a nightmare like that.”

MC didn’t want to abandon her shift early, even if it’s only for a few minutes, but Bobby dragged her up and led her back to their sleeping backs. MC felt weariness taking over her body as she laid back down on the ground, found a comfortable sleeping position and fell back into dreamless sleep. 

~*~

[Priya]

Priya laid down in the old and creaky bed that was still in the house. Although it didn't have many usable pieces of furniture, Priya still felt lucky to have this bed. Seeing it for the first time did bring her some awful flashbacks as she remembered that it was the room she had found Jakub’s severed head. It’s also the room where she met Ulrike for the first time. But now it didn’t phase her anymore that much. She had begun to forget about some of the feelings she used to be so aware of. The things that would’ve made her feel squeamish or sick before, didn’t even make her flinch now. 

As a Huldra, she didn’t really need sleep anymore, but she still wanted to keep holding onto that human necessity just to feel safer. And to pass time to a certain extent. Her current situation was a constant struggle between trying to hold onto humanity and embracing her new powers and life. And she still wasn’t sure when her transformation would be fully completed and how would she feel afterwards.

In a sense, she wishes that her friends would be able to help her before it’s too late. But on the other hand she doesn’t want to alert Ulrike’s attention to them. And in a weird, wicked sense.. She wants to stay with Ulrike. She must’ve been lonely for hundreds of years, without anyone equal to talk to, ruling the forest alone. She wanted to understand her better. Know her full story. Explore every inch of her. 

With those thoughts, Priya felt the bed creak beside her. She opened her eyes and saw Ulrike lying next to her with a smile. It almost looked genuine.

“Coming to sleep too?” Priya asked quietly and Ulrike merely nodded, “Why? We don’t really need sleep..” she inquired.

“Well, I’m still weak. At least weaker than I was before.. I need to rest.” Ulrike explained and snaked her arms around Priya, pulling her closer. Priya hummed joyously, loving the contact of their bodies. 

“Alright.. Just get stronger quickly for me, okay?” Priya laughed and leaned against Ulrike slightly. 

“You have a big role in making me stronger. The more time I spend close to you, the quicker I heal.. So I don’t want to let you tread too far from me..” Ulrike reminded Priya softly and began to run her hand through Priya’s dark auburn hair soothingly.

“What if I run away?” Priya teased Ulrike, a mischievous grin present on her lips.

“Then I’ll send the entirety of the forest after you.. And when they bring you back, I’ll have to punish you..” Ulrike whispered in a low tone and ran her sharp nails down Priya’s sides, causing her to shiver in anticipation.

“I like the sound of that.. I’m a sucker for punishment, darling!” Priya laughed and caressed Ulrike’s leg with her own leg, trying to get as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. 

“Mmh, I’ve seen that.. You like it when I’m a little rougher with you, don’t you?” Ulrike smirked and nibbled Priya’s ear, occasionally pulling on her earlobe with her teeth. Priya’s body responded to her touch right away, whether she wanted or not. 

“Oh yeah.. I love it,” Priya moaned, her hips already grinding against Ulrike, “Please use me any way you want to..” she added and hoped and prayed that this time Ulrike wouldn’t leave her empty. 

“Oh honey, I’d love to..” Ulrike whispered into her ear, took a hold of Priya’s hips and pushed them against the mattress hard as a show of dominance, “But right now I’m exhausted..” she added and let go of Priya, turning to her back to stare at the ceiling. Priya groaned at the sudden loss of contact, her body still hot and waiting. 

“I.. I can eat you out.. You just relax.. I just need something..” Priya stuttered and climbed on top of Ulrike, crashing her lips against hers. Ulrike returned the kiss, but wasn’t clearly as into it as Priya was. Priya didn’t let that bother her, her body was leading instead of her rational mind. One of her hands traveled downward and cupped Ulrike’s firm breast, massaging it and pulling the bud. Every hitched breath Ulrike let out sounded heavenly to her.

But as soon as her other hand nearly reached Ulrike’s core, Ulrike pushed Priya off of her, back on her side of the bed. She closed her legs and eyes. 

“Please.. Just let me do this..” Priya begged, but Ulrike didn’t budge. 

“I’m sleeping. Don’t bother me.” Ulrike’s words sounded harsh but there was a small playful smile on the corner of her lips, revealing that she wasn’t actually as serious as she seemed to be. 

“What are you playing at?” Priya groaned, concentrating on calming down her hammering heart and thinking about something else other than engaging in raw and heated intercourse with the gorgeous woman next to her.

“I’m going to keep winding you up until you explode.. In many ways, and many times..” Ulrike laughed and with that, turned her back to Priya.

Priya stayed in the bed, staring at the ceiling and watching over the steady breaths of Ulrike, finding them somehow beautifully comforting. If she didn’t see her cow tail, she could just think that she was an attractive lady she happened to meet in a bar and who she took home after being dared by her friends to seduce the hottest person in the bar. That happened once when she was a little younger. 

Something good comes out of these teasing sessions; at least for a moment she doesn’t have to think about her dilemma between holding onto her fleeting humanity or indulging herself in the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote about the new encounter, Kevin MacLeod's Hidden Past played in my head nonstop.. So I just kept listening to viking inspired music afterwards for the whole entirety of this chapter and now I let me tell you - I WAS VIBING. 
> 
> And also: what did you think about that little Lucas moment? Should I keep those moments coming or do you prefer MC to be 110% loyal to Bobby and Lucas to just let her go now that she's engaged?


	7. In Search of a Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning breaks and the islanders gather to discuss the plans for the day. Henrik finds out something new about the figure they saw last night. Priya goes through an existential crisis, but comes out on top.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! This chapter has vulgar language and some explicit themes

[The big group]

The morning broke gloomily, oppressing clouds hiding the sun. The former islanders slowly started to wake up after the luckily uneventful night. Everyone seemed to be doing fine, although somewhat tired and achy after sleeping on a stone floor. They ate their small breakfast in silence, sleep still in their eyes. 

Although going back out there wasn’t as scary as it was before, it still certainly made their stomachs turn. And the vastness of the forest worried them more than before. If they hadn’t uncovered any signs of Priya yesterday, what were the chances that they would do so today?

“Maybe we need to change our tactic..” Carl suddenly muttered and everyone turned to look at him. He fidgeted with his fingers for a moment while looking down before facing the curious gazes, “Well, I think we have to be more tactical about this. We can’t find her as fast as we want to if we just walk around aimlessly. We need to figure out possible hot spots. We could start by assuming that she’s near Ulrike. Where have you guys seen Ulrike before?” 

“The church!” Rocco exclaimed and furrowed his brows. 

“Henrik blew up the church, it burnt down. I don’t think she would want to linger there for a months. And it's also on a small island. It’d be dangerous to row there..” Marisol trailed off, remembering their trip to the island and all of the dangers they faced. Graham squeezed her shoulder in an awkward manner. 

“Okay, let’s say that’s our last resort. Any other places?” Carl spoke up.

“She did approach me next to the well and the shed that Ibrahim burnt down..” Bobby remembered and Ibrahim looked down at his feet, ashamed and a pained expression on his face. 

“I remember Priya talking about this abandoned house once, but we don’t know where it is..” MC sighed and the others nodded along, remembering Priya mentioning something about the house.

“Well, maybe it’s close to the shed. It’s a beginning at least. I suggest that we should try and find that shed again.” Lucas declared and everyone seemed to agree on the proposition.

“I’m not the best at navigating my way through the forest.. But we can always try.” Bobby admitted a tad embarrassed, until he heard Henrik hollering from farther away.

“Did you forget I was there too? I have a great sense of direction, you know?” He grinned before returning to the large tome on his hands.

“My hero!” Chelsea squealed happily before furrowing her brows, “I’ve never seen you with as big of a book as you have with you now!” 

“What are you reading?” Kassam questioned and inched closer to Henrik. MC, Lottie, Carl, Marisol and Hope did the same. 

“Oh, this is one of the books I took from the bunker. It tells you all about mythological creatures and enchanted objects.” Henrik explained. Hope peered at the book with tired eyes, blinking twice before yawning loudly.

“Excuse me.. I just don’t understand anything that’s written..” She said a bit disoriented. Marisol glanced at the pages as well and chuckled at Hope’s comment.

“Well obviously you won’t understand much, it’s all in Swedish!” Marisol smiled and Hope blushed just the tiniest bit.

“Sorry, I’m just.. Really tired..” She yawned again and stretched, “Anyway, have you found anything interesting?” She asked Henrik with a serious face.

“Actually, yes.. I think you should all hear this.” Henrik exclaimed loudly and the rest of the islanders quieted down and turned to look at the blonde Swede.

“Is it about the man we saw yesterday?” MC asked and Henrik nodded. That really got the group hooked. 

“Okay, so I think the creature we encountered was Draugr. In this book Draugar are described as undead vikings with a corporeal bodies, who possess superhuman strength and even some supernatural powers. They were a nasty person when they were alive, and rise up to either protect their treasure, wreak havoc or take revenge. Their main motivations are greed and jealousy, and they are rather difficult to kill or get rid of.. They only haunt the place during the evening and nighttime, so we don’t have to worry about their attacks in the daytime..” Henrik explained with an uncomfortable look on his face.

“Oh gosh.. I hope we don’t run into him again.. We were so lucky that he didn’t spot us..” Carl let out a shaky breath, seemingly nervous. 

“Well, what ways do we have to get rid of it?” Gary asked and Henrik turned to look at the paged again, continuing to read. 

“According to the Norse legends, only a true hero can kill Draugar. In these legends, the hero would wrestle the draugr back to his grave and dispose of the corpse in unconventional ways, such as cutting off the draugr’s head, burn the body and dump the ashes in the sea.. They are immune to weapons, only iron can injure them and stop them for a moment, but it’s not enough to kill it..” Henrik answered ominously.

“A true hero? How do we know who can be considered a true hero?” Rocco shook his head and ran his hand through his brown locks.

“I just called Henrik a hero before! Babe, the fate is trying to tell us that you’re the hero!” Chelsea shouted excitedly, quite proud and pleased that her hubby could be a legendary hero. Henrik visibly gulped at the destiny laid in front of him.

“I mean, you did save our asses in the church..” MC teased along. Henrik’s cheeks started burning and panic was shining through his forest green eyes. 

“I think anyone who is brave enough to wrestle an undead viking can be considered a true hero, right?” Henrik quickly cut in, intimidated by the sheer thought of wrestling that mythological creature.

“I once wrestled a man nearly twice my size in my local and won.. I think I can take on a corpse.” Graham let out a mighty laugh, easing the tense atmosphere just a little. Even Henrik dared to break out into a smile.

“Did you find anything about that brooch the draugr dropped?” Lottie questioned, noticing that Henrik had taken the brooch out of his rucksack and laid it on the ground next to his feet.

“Oh yeah! Well, it’s a viking brooch. Worn mostly by the warrior leaders. The runes here symbolize protection and Odin’s guidance.. You know about Odin, right?” Henrik explained and picked up the brooch, examining it absentmindedly. Most of the islanders just nodded, Carl maybe with a tad too much excitement. 

“Yeah, so.. It looks legit. I think we should hold onto it, though I fear what happens when that draugr realizes his brooch is missing..” Henrik cradled the brooch with his clothes again and put both the brooch and the book back into his rucksack. 

“So, are we ready to go look for Priya again?” Ibrahim asked the group. With a few mutters, the former islanders stood up and stretched their weary bones.

“Wait!” Lottie shouted, catching everyone’s attention, “I need to see my daily card!” She explained and took out her trusty Tarot deck. Marisol, Shannon and Lucas sighed in unison, but Lottie didn’t let their reaction bring her down and with her eyes closed, picked a card to describe her day.

“Four of Wands.. Huh.. Not too bad!” Lottie grinned and showed the group the card. It showed two celebrating figures in front of a city and four poles with wreaths and fruit attached to it, “Four of Wands can describe celebration, community, events, teamwork, success, prosperity and reunion.. Maybe that means we’ll find Priya today!” She explained the card with careful hopefulness. 

“I sure do hope so.. I don’t want to spend another night here..” Chelsea crumpled and the rest of the group nodded, relating with her statement and sharing the sentiment.

“Nah, I want to stay here. I’m just really vibing with this feeling of utter dread, you know? I love the rush of adrenaline I get when I’m about to be attacked by a paranormal being!” Bobby cracked, earning him some chuckles and giggles. MC wrapped her hands around Bobby’s waist and leaned against him.

“Yeah, you know, we could totally build a house here. Just start our life afresh with some interesting neighbors. We would never be bored. We’d learn Swedish and all!” She continued the joke and Bobby smiled down at her as if he had fallen in love with her all over again.

The islanders laughed wildly at the amusing pair, Gary even whistled at them with a suggestible look on his face. Only Chelsea seemed lost and frankly said, rather disgusted with their sudden madness.

“Well I will never visit you guys then! Sorry!” Chelsea huffed. 

~*~

[Priya]

Priya woke up after sleeping in short sprints for the entirety of the night. It almost felt like she had seen a nightmare, but couldn't remember what had happened in it. Ulrike’s arms were tightly wrapped around her frame, and even their legs were intertwined. The closeness felt both comforting and uncomfortable for that moment. 

She needed to get out. 

Priya slithered herself out of Ulrike’s grasp as silently and softly as she could, her heart beating heavily and her mind turning hazy with panic. She wasn’t feeling herself. Her new form. Her new life. The room seemed to have been sucked off all air, and no light could swarm through the broken window. 

As the walls felt like closing in on her, she sprinted out of the room, with no plans to where to go. She just needed to get out of that room, further away from Ulrike. She couldn’t control her breathing, she would’ve screamed if she didn’t know that Ulrike was still sleeping. The air was hot and heavy around her and it seemed like the heat was distorting everything, like heat does to asphalt roads on a hot summer day.

Without really acknowledging anything, she soon found herself in a nearly empty room. A cracked mirror hung from the wall with a dirty and weary beige wallpaper. On a dusty mahogany coffee table near the murky window sat an old radio, probably from the 70s. Light streamed in from the window, but was no match to the dread of the filthy room and the ever-growing darkness in Priya’s mind.

Priya made her way towards the mirror, carefully examining her figure and face from her reflection. The radio turned on, filling the silence with a melancholic melody as Priya gasped at the person looking back at her from the mirror. 

_ Sometimes I see _

_ How the brave new world arrives _

_ And I see how it thrives _

_ In the ashes of our lives _

Priya ran her hand through her messy brown hair. She didn’t have a comb wit her, so the only way to make her hair look presentable was to comb it with her fingers. It seemed mostly ineffective, however. At least the clean spring water from the forest was refreshing on her scalp and skin. No more manicures, pedicures or waxing. No eyelash extensions, no neat eyebrows or tanning. Priya used to love dolling herself up, taking pride in her stunning looks and impressing people. That was now in the past, all of that effort was stripped from her one by one.

_ Oh yes, man is a fool _

_ And he thinks he'll be okay _

_ Dragging on, feet of clay _

_ Never knowing he's astray _

_ Keeps on going anyway _

Priya examined her face carefully. The changes were subtle, but one you noticed them, they were impossible to ignore. The most striking revelation was the color in her eyes - her dark brown orbs had many speckles of bright green in them that were not there before. It was as if her eyes were transforming slowly into another color. But Priya liked her brown eyes. She couldn’t imagine bright green eyes with her dark features to look natural in any way. She touched her cheek and realized how unnaturally soft it felt, like a baby’s butt. Her features altogether seemed to have morphed to be more feminine and softer, a generally likable piece of art. Her face shape resembles more of an oval than it had never been, which is generally said to be the most attractive face shape on women. Priya’s face shape had before been more of a diamond than an oval..

_ Happy New Year _

_ Happy New Year _

_ May we all have a vision now and then _

_ Of a world where every neighbor is a friend _

Priya let her hand slide down from her face, down her neck, closer to her bosom. When her sharp nails scratched her delicate neck, her heart skipped a beat and a certain haziness began to fill her thoughts. Alarmed, she snapped her hand away and looked at her over-grown nails. They seem to be growing faster than normally. Priya wondered why her body had reacted the way it had. She really had to fight her urges to keep her hands to herself at that moment, as her Huldra nature compelled her to find release. She could feel her core pulsating softly, causing her to pressing her thighs closer together and bite her lip. 

_ Happy New Year _

_ Happy New Year _

_ May we all have our hopes, our will to try _

_ If we don't we might as well lay down and die _

_ You and I _

Lastly, Priya reached down and grabbed her new body part.. A cow’s tail. She had been called cow a few times in middle school when she had yet not been flourishingly gorgeous, but never had the thought that she would actually grow a cow’s tail. She softly caressed the tail in a deep thought, until her eyes started to water. She could never be considered normal ever again. She was a monster, a freak of nature! This tail was a label, marking her as a cursed wanderer, who’s only hope is to trick some poor man to marry her to break the cure. She never asked for this! She never wanted any of this! With a powerful yank, she pulled on her tail, hoping and praying that it was only a stupid accessory or somehow detachable. A shooting pain ran up her spine as she let out a muffled cry; the pain felt worse than any period cramps she had ever had. It forced her to fall to her knees and bite her lip until it bled, tears now freely running down her cheeks. 

_ Seems to me now _

_ That the dreams we had before _

_ Are all dead, nothing more _

_ Than confetti on the floor _

Priya looked in the mirror again with teary eyes. The person looking back at her wasn’t really Priya, but it certainly wasn’t a stranger. At the same time she felt like looking back at an old toxic friend that you cut out off your life years ago, but at the same time the reflection had a weirdly empowering notion. If you can’t fight it, join it, right? Slowly Priya stood up, ignoring all the pain as she felt magick alive everywhere in her veins. It was pulping, growing, waiting to shine. She just had to give her the permission to be what she was made to be. Priya walked up to the old radio and gave it a hard glare before picking it up and smashing it on the floor. The music died, along with the fear that Priya had felt just minutes before. She was not afraid anymore.

As Priya looked down at the smashed radio while breathing hard, she could feel a pair of hands wrapping around her waist. Priya turned around to see Ulrike standing there, even more beautiful than before with sleep in her eyes. Maybe it added some vulnerability to her character, something very out of place with her usual demeanor. Ulrike seemed to be searching something from Priya’s eyes, as she slowly lifted her hand up and stroked her wet cheek with her hand. Priya leaned to her touch like lovers do. 

“Have you been crying, dear?” Ulrike asked gently, brushing Priya’s cheek delicately. Then her eyes found her bleeding lower lip and her eyebrows furrowed. The placed her index and middle finger against the wound as a slight breeze somehow ran through the room. And just like that, the wound had completely healed.

“Yes, but I’m better now.” Priya answered shortly, her mind completely clear for the first time since she came here. In this world, you have to eat or be eaten. You have to take your chances and act greedily if you want to succeed, let alone survive. In order to become stronger, you have to know exactly what you want, how you want it and when you want it.

“I know this period is difficult for you. It was like a nightmare to me. Remember that you can always talk to me, I know what you’re going through. It’s gonna be better soon enough. You’re still fighting between immortality and your humanity. It’s a losing game, but it’s only natural for you to fight till the end. Just tell me if you need anything,” Ulrike explained with a hint of understanding in her tone as she seemed to completely miss some signs in Priya’s body language, “At the same time I’m your friend, your mentor and your lover. You can always count on me to be there for you, as long as you’re here for me. And I--” Ulrike continued but was cut short when Priya smashed her lips against hers and slammed her body against the grimy wall. Taken by surprise, Ulrike froze for just a second, but that was plenty of time for Priya to make her next move.

Priya lifted her right leg so her knee was positioned right below Ulrike’s crotch. She began to rub her down there with her knee while her hands found her ample breasts and her mouth traveled down her neck, leaving love bites along the way. She couldn’t help but grin devilishly when Ulrike’s body responded nearly immediately as she began to grind herself against Priya’s knee. Priya could feel her knee becoming soaked as she hastily freed Ulrike’s chest from her dress, pressing her body tightly against Ulrike's. 

“You’ve been denying me my release for so long, teasing me, only giving me snippets of euphoria. And just now I realized that if I want something, I need to toughen up and just get it, no matter the cost,” Priya growled, her voice dripping with built-up lust. Ulrike looked up at her with renewed eyes as Priya grabbed her face roughly by Ulrike’s chin, “So I am going to fuck you. Right here, right now. And I’ll tell you when we’re done. I’m going to fuck you until you’re worn out of screaming, until you’re nothing but a used up, melted mess.” 

“Show me how it’s done, bitch!” Ulrike smirked and her mouth quickly found Priya’s as they began to fight for dominance, falling down on the floor while competing who can completely undress the other first. The fight was rough, but Priya prevailed with her new-found strength and confidence, trusting her Huldra instincts to show her the way to celestial pleasure. 

“Go down on me, and if you’re a good little slut, I’ll show you what kind of a stamina can a newly-turned Huldra have..” Priya laughed dryly as she roughly grabbed Ulrike by her hair, shoving her head towards her core while opening her legs wide. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These past week have been a whirlwind. I've been feeling rather sick lately, so I haven't been able to write.. And I'm also doing summer courses for school, which limits my time. To be honest, I had written half of this chapter weeks ago, but only now got to writing the second half.


	8. Freak of Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The surface of a pond reveals something more than just a reflection. Priya goes on a prowl in the forest. The former islanders finally make some progress, but is the prize worth it?

[The big group]

The sun was already creeping up high in the sky when the group found a pond amidst the tall trees. The pond glistened in the high noon sun, invitingly beckoning them to take a break and stay for a moment. Mesmerized, the group walked closer, now realizing that they haven’t eaten or drunk anything since the morning and that the burning at their calves and thighs was becoming stronger. 

“I think we can afford to take a small break to eat and rest!” Shannon exclaimed, massaging her aching thighs with a deep sigh. Nodding, the rest of the former islanders gathered around the pond in a tight circle and began to unpack some simple food items from their rucksacks. 

Not feeling quite as hungry yet, Marisol walked up to the pond to wash off her face from the sweat and dust that had accumulated during the search. She removed her glasses, splashed some cooling and clear pond water on her face and as she was putting her glasses back, she peered down to the bottom of the pond, her breath getting caught into her throat.

There, at the bottom of the pond, she saw a familiar figure. Elisa was lying down there, eyes closed peacefully, as if she was merely sleeping. Motionless, rigid and beautiful, the maiden of the water. It almost looked as if she had grown gills on the side of her throat, but it was hard to tell with all of the plants and dirt in the way.

“Elisa? Is it you..?” Marisol mumbled and with shaking hands, she reached for the small figure. She didn’t know what she was thinking; she didn’t think about the consequences; she just wanted to know what had happened to Elisa so she could finally move on. Marisol’s fingertips met the cold water, somehow it felt colder than it had done before when she was washing her face.

As she reached down towards Elisa, Elisa’s eyes suddenly flung open and something slimy and delicate grabbed Marisol’s hands forcefully, attempting to tug her in. Marisol let out a high-pitched scream, quickly breaking free from the grip and stumbling backwards. She was surprised to find that she had not landed onto the hard ground, but on something pleasantly softer and warmer. 

“Marisol! Are you alright? What happened?!” A ruff voice called out and Marisol looked up, only to meet with a familiar ginger beard and amber eyes of Graham. She felt her body shaking and a cool rush run through her as she realized what had just happened. 

“I.. I saw Elisa.. In the water! She was just lying there! We have to help her!” Marisol shouted, attracting the attention of everyone else. Rocco rushed to the edge of the pond and peered it, eyebrows furrowing.

“There’s nothing here, Marisol..” Rocco sighed and shot an empathetic look Marisol’s way. Marisol tried to sit up from Graham’s lap, but Graham held her in her place. 

“You’re freaking out, Marisol, just calm down.. It’s going to be alright.” Graham shushed her and pet Marisol’s hair gently, letting his rough salty seadog’s exterior crack a little. Marisol couldn’t help the heat finding it’s ways on the apples of her cheeks, her body clearly remembering the time when Graham used to touch her like this. 

“But.. Elisa.. She needs our help!” Marisol whispered, her eyes pooling with tears. Graham sighed and shook his head slightly. 

“I was watching you as you washed your face. Then suddenly you just tensed up, so I came closer. I heard you mumbling something to yourself and then reach down, and then something grabbed you and you flung back into my waiting arms.. I didn’t see anyone down there in the water, Marisol. Just your reflection.” Graham explained to Marisol.

“You didn’t see her? But she was right there! I could have saved her!” Marisol shouted and quickly sat up, inching herself closer to the body of water. As she peered down again, Elisa was gone and the waters were calm and untouched. Shaking her head, she leaned in closer, but Graham stopped her by grabbing Marisol by her waist and pulling her away from the water.

“Don’t go any closer to the water.” Graham stated simply and stood up, pulling Marisol along. They reunited with the big group that had looked over the scene from farther away with horrified interest. As Marisol finally sat back down, Graham wrapped her up with a blanket and offered her a water bottle. 

“What happened there? You were talking about Elisa..” MC questioned Marisol. Marisol took a quick sip out of the water bottle before she answered the curious gazes of her friends.

“I noticed Elisa lying there at the bottom of the pond after I had finished washing my face.. I tried to reach her but something tried to tug me in the water..” Marisol explained, being adamant that she had just seen Elisa even though Graham had told her otherwise. 

“I didn’t see Elisa..” Graham sighed gloomily and ate some of his food.

“Neither did I..” Rocco added to Graham’s credibility.

“What was Elisa doing down there?” Chelsea asked, surprisingly silently and lacking her usual chirpiness. 

“She was.. Sleeping. She looked so peaceful.. But when I tried to touch her, her eyes opened and the next time I looked, she was gone.. I don’t know where she went,” Marisol set down her water bottle and buried her face in her hands in distress, “Oh, I could’ve helped her.. I could’ve saved her.. Or at least I would’ve learnt what had happened to her, if she, if she..!” 

“I wonder if it’s Näcken and if he can transform himself..” Lottie thought out loud and absentmindedly combed her long hair with her fingers. 

“It is said that Näckens are shapeshifters, but I’m not sure whether they can transform into someone that actually exists..” Henrik replied nearly immediately, having read more information about the creatures they encountered last time and remembering what his great-grandmother Ida had told him in her wacky stories. 

“I think the more reasonable explanation can be found in Marisol’s psyche,” Shannon frowned and turned to face Marisol, “We are all feeling stressed out and anxious here. It’s no secret. I think what you just saw was the result of your imagination playing tricks on you. Elisa wasn’t really there. It was all a figment of your imagination.” Shannon explained slowly and some of the islanders nodded along.

“Yes, it’s likely that you were hallucinating her. It wouldn’t be the first time someone has hallucinated something like that after reliving a traumatic experience or being left with no answers regarding to something like that.” Carl backed Shannon up. 

“You were close with Elisa, yes? The question what happened to her has been gnawing on your mind and now it’s manifesting as these sightings of her. Your subconscious feels like you’re so close to finding the answer, but it’s still out of your reach, so it creates these hallucinations to protect itself.” Lucas tried to made sense of what had happened as well.

“You don’t understand.. I SAW her! Why don’t you believe me?!” Marisol appeared to be far from her usual calculative self, overtaken my emotions. After staring silently at the other islanders for any type of backup without getting any, her shoulders eventually slumped and she let out a long sigh that she didn’t know she had held in. 

“It’s okay. Deep breaths.” Graham spoke up encouragingly. Marisol followed his orders, concentrating on breathing in and breathing out. 

“I’ve just felt to guilty about what had happened.. I was the group leader, and we lost two people.. Noah and Elisa. I wasn’t good enough. I’ve already talked about this, but I just wasn’t able to move on from it no matter how hard I try.. I keep seeing them in my dreams. I’m so sorry Hope.. Everyone..” Marisol let out a shaky breath and rubbed her puffy eyes gently with her fingers. Hope walked up to Marisol and sat down next to her, staying silent for a moment before speaking up.

“I don’t blame you about what happened to my Noah. Yes, I miss him so much and would do anything to get him back, but.. It wasn’t your fault. You led our group with the best of your ability. You came up with the plan on how to escape the trolls. You saved me from getting killed by Näcken. You did so much for us, and without you and your bright mind, so many more of us would have died.” Hope comforted Marisol and enveloped her into a tight hug. Marisol tensed up for a moment before carefully returning the hug.

“Yes. You did your best and we couldn’t have asked for more. Our survival was a group effort, and with such a limited knowledge on the creatures and lacking of any tools necessary for survival, you did amazing.” Rocco added and joined the two girls in a hug.

“You.. You really think so? But three out of five is not a very good result..” Marisol sniffed and tried to stabilize her breathing again.

“It’s not amazing, but.. It could’ve been zero out of five if you hadn’t thought so fast. You even came up with a plan to inform the others what had happened to us with that lipstick message!” Hope laughed dryly and squeezed Marisol tighter. One by one, the rest of the islanders joined the group hug and enjoyed the feeling of calm and vulnerability hanging in the air around them.

“I love you guys… I don’t want to lose any more of you..” Marisol smiled for the first time since the morning. 

“Well then we have to look after each other.” Bobby chuckled from somewhere in the middle of the large group hug. 

“And we probably also have to move along before someone or something finds us..” Henrik reminded the group and was the first one to let go. The rest of the former islanders mumbled in agreement, slowly taking a step back from the hug. 

The group slowly put their stuff back in their bags and got ready to head out. Marisol couldn’t help her curiosity and while everyone else was concentrating on packing, she walked back at the edge of the pond. Peering down in the water, she let out a silent gasp.

In the vision unfolding in front of her, she saw something pulling Graham violently underwater and a pool of red surfacing soon after. She was pained and terrified, yet unable to tear her eyes away from the vision or to scream out loud.

“Marisol! Are you coming?” Ibrahim shouted from the group that was already making their way out of the clearing with the pond. That shook Marisol out of her trance, and the picture vanished. 

“Coming!” Marisol shouted back, grabbed her rucksack and quickly ran to catch up with the group, refusing to look back at that cursed pond. 

~*~

[Priya]

Priya was on a prowl. She had a mission. Filled with renewed energy after finally getting her base urges satisfied, she made her way through the forest, her senses heightened. She could hear even the smallest rustles of leaves. She could smell up to many miles away. She could feel the ground shaking from a movement of a rat. She was on a high and she didn’t want to come back down. Powerful, nothing could stop her right now. 

She wanted to see what her old friends were up to, but for much different reasons than yesterday. Yesterday she was worried about them, and wanted to protect them. Now, she wasn’t feeling as generous.

And it felt like she was coming closer to finding them. Her heightened sense of smell worked like magic, and she swore she could smell them faintly. Following the scent, she imagines what she would do with them. Maybe she could pull a prank on them? Scare them? Bring them to Ulrike? Any of those options sounded tempting and like a lot of fun! 

She couldn’t start imagining how Ulrike would reward her for doing the dirty work for her.. Well, though after she was done with her before, Ulrike wasn’t in a perfect condition to start anew right away. As Priya’s body was remembering the titillating moments and Ulrike screaming her name from before, a surge of warmth and confidence filled her body and mind.

The scent was becoming stronger. She pushed her lewd thoughts aside for a moment and concentrated on the smell, listening closely whether she could hear her old friends as well, but didn’t hear anything quite yet. Priya tensed up shortly before breaking into a careless sprint through the forest. The trees and bushes flew by as she ran faster and faster towards the target of the scent. She was running as fast as a deer would, not bothered by any rocks or roots growing out of the ground, but either jumping over them or dodging them gracefully..

And then she stopped dead on her tracks. She found the source of the scent, but couldn't see any of her friends. Instead, she saw a hatch door on the ground. She knelt down and looked at the door intently, smelling the air. They had to be in there, the smell was coming from right there. Priya took a long breath before slamming open the bunker door and peering down into the darkness.

“Who can bother with this stupid ladder?” She laughed silently to herself and dropped down into the void, landing like a cat on the harsh concrete floor, “Didn’t even feel anything.. Being Huldra is awesome!” She snickered as she flicked the light switch on, sure that she would be met up with the sight of her old human friends.

When the light filled the room, however, the bunker was completely abandoned. Priya stared at the emptiness with her mouth hanging open, taken aback that her superior senses had led her astray like this. Then she realized it; they probably were there before, but had already moved on. 

Fury was the only thing that filled Priya’s mind. Animalistic, pure anger. How dare they make fun of her like this?! Why are they running away from her?! A small part of her kept telling her that these thoughts didn’t make any sense, but the dominant part of her was only seeing red.

She went absolutely ballistic, screaming her lungs out as she lunged forward and began to throw and rip books out of the bookshelf, throwing them on the floor. She pushed the bookshelf angrily and listened the satisfying thud that followed the act. Next, she smashed that annoying lone chair in the corner that seemed to be mocking her; you’re all alone. A freak of nature. 

“Those assholes are mocking me! Thinking I’m stupid! That I’m a monster! But they don’t know what I’m capable off, oh no, they would be surprised. But I’m going to show them one day! I’ll rip their fucking heads, those humanity thieves!” Priya screeched as she ran to the bed and knocked it over effortlessly. By now, her palms were bleeding from all the smashing and flipping. She stopped and looked at her bloody palms in deep thought before grinning.

“If they dare to come back here… I’ll leave them a nice little surprise.. They’ll probably freak out over this and think that something bad happened to me.. They’ll run to me like stupid naive lambs!” Priya laughed maniacally as she began to ran her muddy and bloody hands along the walls of the bunker. The rough cement of the bunker wounded her palms ever more, producing more blood for them all to see.

“My masterpiece.. Perfect!” Priya chuckled darkly as she looked at what she had done, “It’s their fault for rubbing it in my face.. That I.. I’m not.. A human.. It’s not.. fair..” Priya’s breathing turned heavier and heavier as she looked around at the chaos, her heart beginning to beat faster and faster. The world began to spin as a loud beeping sound broke out inside her head. Priya covered her ears and cowered under the intensifying sound slicing her brain.

“They.. Were.. Are.. My friends.. I..” Priya’s eyes prickled painfully as her head began to throb. In her mind there was a huge fight between humanity and inhumanity, and right now humanity was winning. 

Then it all stopped.

Priya looked around herself again, horrified by what she had become. By what she had done. By letting her animalistic urges take control. She blinked back tears as the air in the room grew heavier and heavier, blaming Priya for the discord state. Panting, Priya quickly turned off the lights and ran up to the ladder, hastily making her way out of the bunker into the refreshing air of the day. 

Yet everything around her felt darker. More sinister. Deeper, like she was sinking into it. The colors blended wrong. Everything was staring back at her, back at her sins and mistakes and the loss of control she had experienced. Thousands of eyes of the forest were silently judging her, hundreds of mouths whispering in disgust. The skyline was crooked and the trees were bowing down in disappointment. The sound of humanity was growing stronger yet again within her;

Fight back. Reclaim your humanity.

~*~

[The big group]

The group was making their way through the forest, Henrik, Bobby, Chelsea and MC in the lead since they were trying to find the well and the burnt down shed that Henrik, Bobby and Ibrahim had seen Ulrike nearby. Henrik was great at finding his way in the forest, but Bobby couldn’t really provide a whole lot of help. 

“I do think we’re on the right track..” Henrik mumbled and looked around for any special land marks for him to remember if they have to find their way back. 

“I don’t even recognize left from right,” Bobby sighed and looked at both of his hands, wiggling his fingers, “All the trees look similar to me, anyway..” 

“I know what you mean..” Chelsea huffed and pointed at a tall pine tree, “I wish we had something to decorate these trees with! Then I could remember which one is which. I could just look at this tree and say something like: ‘Hey, that’s Karen! She’s so Karen, just look at her boring fashion sense from the late 80s!’” Chelsea giggled to herself. MC chuckled at her friend’s antics, Chelsea always somehow lightened up even the darkest of moods. 

Suddenly, MC noticed something moving amongst the trees. She stopped on her tracks and shushed the others silently, pointing at the direction of the movement. One by one the rest of the group noticed the movement as well and hastily knelt down so they wouldn’t catch the attention of the figure. MC kept her eyes locked on the figure, trying to catch enough of it so she could tell whether it was a friend or a foe.

Then she realized it. That hair, that skin tone, that body… It couldn’t be anyone else but Priya! Ignoring her lizard brain telling her to stay hidden or run away, she stood back up and called out for Priya. Bobby tried to pull MC back down, but it was all in vain.

“It really is Priya..” Kassam mumbled and stood up, calling after Priya as well. Shocked by this revelation, the rest of the former islanders stood up slowly as well and began to make their way towards Priya, calling her name time and time again. They couldn’t let her slip away, not now! 

“Priya! Stop! It’s us!” MC shouted louder than she had ever shouted. By some miracle, Priya stopped running, still facing away from the group. MC could see that her entire body was tense, and she spotted her cow tail. Her heart broke a little seeing it. The group silently inched closer, approaching Priya as if she was a wild animal that could run away at any moment; carefully, quietly and looking as pure-intended as possible. 

“Priya.. We found you.. Please come with us, let’s go home..” Gary spoke up gently. The group could see Priya’s entire body shaking. Most of the former islanders stopped after seeing the fidgeting movement, but MC kept going forward. She had to save her best friend. 

“Priya. It’s me, MC. You’re my best friend, remember? And I’m not leaving you alone here. Not ever again. Please, come with us so we can leave this whole trauma behind..” MC beckoned Priya as she was determined to bring her home, to bring her to safety.

“No..” Priya mumbled and turned around inhumanly quickly, “Stop! Don’t come any closer!” She shouted at MC, who froze in place, shocked by the tone of Priya’s voice. 

“Why? Don’t you want to come home?” MC questioned, her voice laced with slight hurt. She couldn’t understand why Priya was rejecting them like this. They only wanted the best for her in the end.

“My home is here.. I no longer have a home with a human society.” Priya explained, a hint on anger and sadness dancing in her brown eyes speckled with forest green.

“Yes you have.. You’re always welcome to stay with us. We’ll find a way to cure you, and then we can move on from this hurt..” MC answered, slowly lifting up her hand and moving it towards Priya, but she smacked it away. Behind MC, Bobby tensed up at the act, worried for the safety of the love of his life. 

“No. I don’t need to be cured. Sick people need to be cured, but I am NOT sick!” Priya gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, frowning at MC’s choice of words, “And how can we ever truly move on?! Five people are dead! Ibrahim and Henrik burnt badly! I’m not a human! Just leave this place and never come back if you care about your lives!” 

“Yes, you’re not sick.. You’re just.. Um..” MC thought about a good word to use, but couldn’t come up with anything fast enough.

“What am I?” Priya snorted dryly, “Infected? A freak of nature? A monster? A demon? That’s what you’re thinking, right? I’m not normal.. I’m not a human.. I’m a Huldra! And that’s why I belong here with Ulrike!” Priya screeched and her face was turning to all the shades of red and pink from anger. 

“Wait, so Ulrike is alive? So it’s confirmed now?” Lucas caught onto Priya’s Freudian slip quickly. Priya’s face paled at the statement and she stared at Lucas with her mouth slightly hanging open.

“It really is important to get rid of the Devil, huh?” Henrik sighed, remembering his sacrifice to get rid of that monstrous female that had killed Jakub and indirectly resulted in Jo’s and Hannah’s deaths as well.. 

“She’s not the Devil! If you call her the Devil, what am I, huh?!” Priya pressed, her face contorting with anger and bitterness, “I lost everything. I lost my family, my friends, my life.. And my humanity. You have everything I can only dream to have! How does it feel to be a human, huh? You don’t understand what you have until you lose it! So leave this place before you’ll learn the hard way to appreciate what you have!” 

“We’re not leaving without you!” MC screamed and Priya turned to look back at her, her eyes shining with fury, “Please.. We can work this out together.. You can get your humanity back.. We won’t give up on you!” She continued more silently, begging Priya to trust them for one last time. For just a second, it almost seemed like Priya’s fiery eyes softened up, but the softness disappeared all too sudden as Priya shook her head violently.

“It’s too late. Just look at me. We don’t belong in the same world anymore. We’re enemies. So you better leave before I do something I can’t control, before I do something I can never take back..” Priya closed her eyes and took a long, shaky breath. 

As if Chelsea had been waiting for the right moment, she suddenly sprinted towards Priya, her arms wide open for a hug, “Priya! We love you so you don’t have to feel like that!” She cried out with a hopeful smile on her face. 

From that point on, MC could see the entire situation unfolding in front of her eyes in slo-mo. Priya’s eyes shot open and she only gave one more look at Chelsea, her mouth moving but MC couldn’t hear her voice. Then Priya grabbed a nearby tree, lifted it up from the ground as if it was only a twig and threw it towards Chelsea. Amidst the chaos, MC’s eyes met up with the eyes of Henrik as he too realized what’s going on before anyone else. MC couldn’t even flinch before Henrik made his move; he jumped forward to push Chelsea away from the way of the large tree, covering her head with his arms protectively.

A large thud broke the absolute silence and the slo-mo effect. The tree landed on the two figures, hiding them among the branches. 

“Chelsea!” Lottie screamed as she ran towards the tree, her voice struck with panic and worry.

“Henrik! Are you alright?!” Lucas shouted and couldn’t stay put himself. One by one, the rest of the former islanders gathered around the tree, worried for the safety of their friends.

“No.. What did I do? Oh no, no, no, no, this is bad, this is bad…” Priya mumbled to herself, freaking out about what she had done, “I’m so sorry, I really am.. Chelsea.. Henrik.. You don’t have to forgive me..” A single tear rolled down Priya’s cheek as she watched the scene, suddenly remembering the Midsummer’s eve’s party where she, Chelsea and MC had sung Dancing Queen by ABBA, beautiful, alive and fully human.

“Let’s try and move the tree!” Gary shouted orders and everyone grabbed the tree and lifted it up with all of their strength, too occupied to pay any attention to Priya.

“You’re not safe here with me.. Please go back home and forget about me.. Like I never really existed. That’s the best for all of us..” Priya cast one last longing look towards her old friends and then began to run away from the horrific scene, guilt burning in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohoho, is this a cliffhanger I see? Tune in next time to figure out what happened to Chelsea and Henrik! 
> 
> I'd also like to hear if any of you have any.. Well, theories about the strange events and motives of the story. Marisol's visions about Elisa and Graham, timeline jumping, MC's and Lottie's synchronized nightmares.. There are so many odd happenings going on right now that probably don't make much sense yet. So, if you have any theories or if something really puzzles and confuses you, feel free to leave a comment down below! :)


	9. Disappearances and Dealings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Find out what happened to Chelsea and Henrik after Priya's outburst! MC meets a new creature of the forest and makes a deal with them; will that decision help her or seal her fate? A certain character opens up about their past, revealing more of their world and thoughts.

[The big group]

“Let’s try and move the tree!” Gary shouted orders and everyone grabbed the tree and with all of their strength, too occupied to pay any attention to Priya. 

With the combined strength of the former islanders, they managed to lift the tree from atop of Chelsea and Henrik although it wasn’t easy. They moved the tree a few meters away and tended to the couple. Henrik was lying halfway on top of Chelsea, cradling Chelsea’s head against his chest with his arms. Chelsea was curled up in a fetal position, her arms positioned next to Henrik’s abdomen. 

“Chelsea! Henrik! Please answer us!” Hope bit her lip worriedly and stared at the unmoving couple. Lucas knelt down and checked Henrik’s pulse by his throat. The friend group was holding their breaths to the blank reaction of Lucas as he kept trying to find the heartbeat, but eventually Lucas let out a relieved sigh and broke into a wide, genuine smile.

“Henrik’s alive, just knocked out. Could one of you elevate his legs?” Lucas asked and moved to Chelsea’s side, checking her pulse from her neck as well. Ibrahim nodded, grabbed Henrik’s legs and lifted them up accordingly. 

“Is Chelsea alright? Please tell us she’s okay..” Marisol questioned nervously and kept switching the weight from one leg to another. Lucas felt around Chelsea’s neck a bit more.

“Tickles.. Stop..” Chelsea mumbled silently and switched under Lucas’ touch. Lucas chuckled shakily and removed his hand from Chelsea’s tender neck.

“That’s a good enough answer for me!” Lucas smiled and walked behind Chelsea, lifting up her legs as well. Soon enough those two regained their consciousness, first Chelsea and then Henrik. 

“I smell like a Christmas tree.. Is it Christmas?” Chelsea asked as she opened her blue eyes to the world, blinking as she tried to adjust to her surroundings. Lucas let go of Chelsea’s legs.

“It’s not Christmas, Chels, but you just got it by a pine tree..” Carl explained to Chelsea, who just nodded and sat up slowly, holding her head. 

“That makes sense..” Chelsea smiled feebly before glancing to her side, “Henrik! Babe, are you okay?! You can’t leave me alone here!” She squealed and grabbed Henrik’s hand in hers, drawing circles with her thumb against Henrik’s pale skin anxiously.

“How.. How does being hit by a pine tree make sense to you?” Graham frowned and scratched his head in a confused manner. 

“Oh, once in a school play one of my friends played a pine tree and she accidentally fell on me during the premiere! It was so embarrassing, but also so funny!” Chelsea laughed remembering the old memory, forgetting about Henrik’s state for a moment.

“What was your role?” Gary asked Chelsea with a grin. 

“I was a pink bunny! The bunny wasn’t supposed to be pink, but I insisted on being pink!” Chelsea smiled and twitched her nose in a bunny-like manner, gaining some chuckled from her friends.

“You’re always.. my pink bunny..” Henrik mumbled from the ground, scaring the former islanders. Ibrahim accidentally let go of his legs in surprise, “Oof.. That hurt..” He complained before he opened his eyes. The first thing he turned to look at was Chelsea. Henrik hummed softly and lifted his hand up to caress Chelsea’s cheek gently, “Thank God you’re alright, my pink bunny..” He chuckled with a boyish smile on his features.

“Henrik! I’m so glad you’re fine!” Chelsea yelped and squeezed Henrik’s hand hard in excitement. Henrik chuckled at Chelsea’s excitement and squeezed her hand comfortingly back. 

“Yeah.. I guess the trunk didn’t hit us, only some of the branches.. Had the trunk fallen on us with full force, we would be goners..” Henrik sighed and slowly sat up, holding his back while hissing, “My back has seen better days though.. Do you have any pains, pink bunny?” 

“I don’t think so.. And for how long are you going to keep calling me a pink bunny, it’s becoming embarrassing!” Chelsea giggled and playfully punched Henrik’s arm. 

“Until we’re both old and wrinkly!” Henrik gave Chelsea his legendary an over-the-top wink before standing up slowly, pulling Chelsea up with himself. 

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!” Chelsea whimpered as she tried to take a step, her right ankle buckling under her weight, “I must have hurt my ankle in the fall.. It hurts so much!” She frowned and leaned slightly against Henrik to stabilize herself. 

“Hmh.. That’s bad.. We should take a closer look on it soon,” Henrik sighed and stretched slightly, gritting his teeth, “I think my shoulders and back are in a dire need of a massage.. Lucas, can you help me with that when we’re in a safer place?” Henrik turned to look at Lucas, but couldn’t find him anywhere.

“Lucas? Where did you go?” Chelsea asked and looked around as well to no avail. 

“Bobby and MC aren’t here either!” Rocco pointed out, scratching his beard thoughtfully.

“Where’s my Lotta?” Gary questioned as he couldn’t find Lottie anywhere.

“Kassam and Shannon are also missing..” Graham frowned. The group tried to see if anyone else was missing, but only those six were gone.

“Did something happen to them?” Ibrahim wondered worriedly, not sure how to proceed from this. 

“My guess is that they ran after Priya while we were occupied with Chelsea and Henrik..” Carl theorized, his eyes scanning the woods for any signs of their friends.

“Oh yeah.. Priya is gone too. No wonder she would run away after doing something like this to her friends..” Hope snarled, shaking her head begrudgingly. 

“Ooh, but I’m not mad at her! She’s going through so much right now!” Chelsea quickly replied to Hope’s negativity with a small smile, “What about you, Henrik? Are you mad at Priya?” 

“I didn’t like that she put you in danger.. But.. I guess her actions were understandable. She felt threatened and she probably cannot fully control her new powers, including super strength.. And she seemed to be on edge for the entire conversation.” Henrik replied level-headedly and bit the inner wall of his mouth.

“So.. What should we do about the missing people?” Rocco asked the remaining group.

“Look for them, obviously. It’s not good to be split up in here as we have learnt.” Marisol stated and the rest of the group nodded in agreement. 

~*~

[MC, Bobby, Lucas, Lottie, Kassam & Shannon]

As everyone was fussing over Chelsea and Henrik, MC kept her eyes on Priya as much as it pained her to ignore Chelsea and Henrik’s misfortune. Now that they had finally found Priya, she wasn’t about to let her out of her sight anymore. Not after they’ve come so far. So when Priya began to sprint away from the scene, MC followed her as quickly as she could even though with her new powers, Priya was clearly the faster runner around there.

And when MC began to run away, Bobby and Lucas noticed it right away. They both immediately abandoned the others to run after MC, to make sure that she’s going to be alright. Bobby’s and Lucas’ flight wasn’t left unnoticed by two of the more observant members of the group, Lottie, Kassam and Shannon, who exchanged an inquisitive look before running after the trio. 

MC kept the lead, completely ignorant to the fact that she was being followed by her baker fiancé, a devilishly handsome physiotherapist, a witchy bad bitch, a quiet yet thoughtful DJ and a curvaceous lady with the best poker face.

But Priya proved to be a way too fast competitor for poor MC. Eventually she arrived on a clearing and had to admit to herself that she had lost Priya. Panting, she looked around herself for one last time for any signs of Priya’s existence. Nothing. 

Meanwhile Bobby had hidden behind the trees, keeping an eye on MC from farther away. He was soon joined to his hiding place by Lucas.

“What are you doing here?” Bobby whispered quietly to Lucas who began staring at MC from the other side of the tree.

“Making sure my friend is alright..” Lucas replied just as silently, not even bothering to glance at Bobby.

“But I bet Henrik and Chelsea need you more in case they need any massages or twisting.. You’re the professional.” Bobby frowned slightly. 

“I couldn’t possibly let MC run into the mouth of danger. I’m sure the others know the basics of massages and twisting, anyway.” Lucas rolled his eyes, the air tensing up around them.

“You’re gonna blow your covers if you keep bickering so loudly..” Someone whispered from behind them. Bobby and Lucas both froze and whipped around to see Shannon smiling at them with raised eyebrows, a knowing look on her face. Both Bobby and Lucas blushed from being found out like they were kids that were caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar red-handed. 

“S-Shannon? You followed us too?” Bobby breathed as silently as he could and Shannon nodded.

“And I didn’t come alone. You’re not as sneaky as you think you are..” Shannon smirked and moved slightly to reveal Kassam and Lottie from behind her.

“..Why are we just staring at MC creepily from behind the trees and bushes? Why don’t we just walk up to her?” Kassam sighed and shook his head disapprovingly.

“..That’s a good question.” Lucas furrowed his brows and turned to look back at MC. Bobby did the same.

“This is an interesting human experiment. What will MC do next? Return to the big group? Try to stubbornly look for Priya alone? Find us? Who knows..” The corners of Shannon’s lips turned up as she knelt down to be better hidden from the MC behind the bushes. Kassam rolled his eyes but also knelt down in order not to blow their cover.

“Shush now… I feel a weird energy hanging around here.” Lottie whispered as she knelt down as well, closing her eyes in thought.

MC kept walking in circles, wondering what she should do next. She hadn’t paid that much attention to her surroundings while she was running after Priya, so finding her way back to the group could be difficult and even risky. Don’t they tell little kids to stay put if they get separated from their parents in a grocery store? Well, this forest certainly was a tad bigger than any grocery store MC had ever been to, so did the rule apply in here?

Finding Priya alone was going to be a nearly impossible task too. Now that she had been caught once, she was probably being extra careful and alert so she wouldn’t be found again. People who want to disappear usually tend to be successful in their attempts. And MC would be in a huge danger if she went to look for Priya alone as she didn’t have the protection of the big group. She only had her rucksack, which mostly included food, water bottles, clothes and maybe one or two weapons. She did have the walkie-talkie given by the police officers, but didn’t want to bother them about this quite yet as she was not in immediate danger. 

Frustrated, MC decided to take a little break to drink water an think her situation over. She walked up to this large ash tree and sat under its branches that nicely shielded her from the merciless sun. MC opened her rucksack and took out her water bottle, taking a long sip out of it. She hadn’t realized that she was this thirsty before.. 

“Oh wow, this seems to be a popular spot nowadays..” An otherworldly voice spoke from behind MC. She tensed up, her heart nearly hammered out of her chest. MC jumped to her feet and looked around wildly. Followed by a small chuckle, MC finally detected a face. The ash tree had a feminine face, and it's trunk and branches started slowly to transform into something more human-like. 

“W-What are you?” MC managed to stutter as she backed away from the creature. The creature’s smile never faltered, yet there was something unnerving about it.

“I am Askafroa, the guardian of the ash tree. You were resting against my tree just now, so I thought I should greet my visitor!” Askafroa clapped her woody hands together and tilted her head while examining MC with her sharp eyes curiously, “You are a human. This place is not very safe for your kind. What are you doing here?” she asked politely. 

”Are you working for Ulrike?” MC demanded to know, worried that Askafroa would gossip about their whereabouts to the Huldra. Askafroa remained quiet for a few moments before speaking up again.

“Everyone in this forest is under her law. Both monsters and animals alike. It’s impossible to escape her presence here. But I do have a mind of my own, unlike some of the creatures here..” Askafroa explained patiently, batting her large eyes.

“What is that supposed to mean?” MC questioned back, uncertain what Askafroa was hinting at.

“It means I’m not anyone’s puppet on a string..” Askafroa smiled at MC mysteriously and tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Now that I’ve answered your questions, you’re going to answer mine, right? So what is a human like you supposed to do here?”

“I’m looking for my best friend.. She’s being cursed and controlled by Ulrike and we really want to help her..” MC gave in with a sigh, confiding to the guardian of the ash tree.

“You mean Priya, the new Huldra? I’ve met her.” Askafroa smiled innocently. MC’s eyes widened at the statement and a small glimmer of hope was awoken within her.

“You have?! Oh, do you know anything helpful about her or Ulrike? Anything at all? I need to know!” MC begged, desperate for any helpful hints about Priya’s thoughts and Ulrike’s plans.

“Oh, I can tell you something about Priya, she has confided in me, but… My services don’t come for free.” Askafroa’s smile dropped for the first time since the meeting.

“What do you want from me?” MC held her breath, wondering how in the world she could repay the information to Askafroa.

“It’s simple, really.. You just need to prove to me that you won’t hurt the ash trees. You need to bring me a bucket of water and water me while reciting this spell: _‘Nu offrar jag, så gör du oss ingen skada’_. Because if anyone hurts me or my trees.. I won’t be kind to them. My revenge is sweet and sure.” Askafroa smiled again, yet it didn’t reach her eyes. Her intense gaze felt cold against MC’s eyes. 

MC thought about her offer for a moment. Trusting her seemed the best option they had in order to find Priya and get some insight into her thoughts and life as Huldra. Plus, Askafroa seemed to understand and know what is going around in the forest in general.

“Okay. I’ll bring you your water. Just tell me what you know!” MC cried out and offered her hand to Askafroa to shake it.

“First the price, then the service..” Askafroa raised her left eyebrow and cocked her head while curiously eyeing MC’s outstretched hand.

“Sure.. Just promise me you’ll tell everything once I return..” MC breathed out and gazed at Askafroa pleadingly.

“You’ve got yourself a deal!” Askafroa laughed and shook hands with MC. Feeling a wooden hand against skin was an interesting experience.

“Great, great.. So now I’ll go look for water and return as soon as I can..” MC spoke quickly and ran out of the clearing without missing a beat. She was running towards the exact place where Bobby, Lucas, Kassam and Shannon were hiding.

“Oh shit, she’s running straight towards us..” Lucas muttered in the hiding place.

“We’re going to be found out!” Kassam hissed.

“Run!” Bobby murmured loudly and tried to make his escape hastily. 

“Boys, what are you doing? First we deliberately followed her, and now we’re supposed to stay hidden from her at all cost?” Lottie rolled her eyes and rubbed her temples.

“Bobby! Why are you running? Why are you running?!” Shannon shouted after Bobby, who was running away. Bobby froze on his tracks and turned to face the foursome.

“What on earth is happening in here?” MC asked as she stepped behind the trees, clicking her tongue in a displeased manner. 

“Oh, hello lass! What a coincidence to meet you here..” Bobby chuckled nervously and walked right back at the small group, taking MC’s hand and giving her palm a gentle kiss. Lucas averted his eyes from the display of affection.

“Uhuh, a coincidence..” MC rolled her eyes but smirked, “So, for how long were you guys stalking me for?” 

“Since the beginning, pretty much.. We just wanted to make sure you were safe..” Lucas told MC with a sheepish smile on his face.

“So you heard everything?” MC asked and stared all four deep into their eyes one by one. Bobby appeared nervous, Lucas had a fake smile plastered on his face, Lottie frowned, Kassam kept avoiding eye contact and Shannon was the only with a perfectly believable poker face.

“Pretty much, yes..” Kassam admitted eventually. MC took in a long breath.

“It’s fine. You just gotta help me find a bucket and some water, okay?” MC declared and the rest of the group agreed to do so. 

“Should we find the others now too, or after we’ve brought the water?” Lottie asked and eyed the group.

“Our first priority is to find the water. It might be our best bet in order to find Priya again.. Askafroa clearly knows more than she’s letting on..” MC theorized quietly and exchanged meaningful glances with the foursome.

“Okay.. So, I don’t think any of us happens to have an entire bucket in our rucksacks?” Bobby questioned the group. One by one, the former islanders shook their heads, “Great..” 

~*~

[Priya]

Priya had managed to get rid of MC that had been following her for a while, but she never stopped running. She was feeling more awful than she had ever done before; even more awful than when she tried to kiss Noah, or when she was dumped from Love Island.. This was all her fault. Chelsea and Henrik could be dead or badly injured and it was all her fault. 

She had been careless, not able to control her emotions and forgotten that she should be careful to stay hidden. They had found her. They knew about Ulrike. They saw what she looks like right now. She should’ve been more careful. She can’t afford to make mistakes like these in the future. She could put everyone in danger; her friends, Ulrike, other creatures of the forest - even herself. Not that she really cared what happened to her at this point. She had already ruined so much. 

Without really realizing how fast she had been running, she had already arrived back at the headquarters. Her entire body shaking from shock and guilt, she walked into the abandoned house, hoping not to run into Ulrike along the way. She was emotionally distraught. 

“Priya dear, is that you?” Ulrike called out from one of the rooms. Speaking of the devil. Priya didn’t answer in hopes that Ulrike would just let her be, and kept walking into one of the rooms, closing the door silently behind her. 

A few minutes passed, before Priya could hear footsteps behind the door.

“Priya.. You know that I have sharp senses, too? I heard your footsteps. I smelt your scent. You can’t hide from me..” Ulrike spoke behind the door. 

“Just leave me be, okay?” Priya said tiredly, sitting in the corner of the room, curled up into a ball. This day had been a real roller coaster of her emotions, and she felt drained. 

“Are you okay?” Ulrike asked but Priya didn’t answer, “You don’t sound okay.. What happened?” She pressed further, adamant to receive an answer. 

“Nothing for you to be concerned about..” Priya sighed and closed her eyes. But when she did that, the moment when she threw that tree towards Chelsea began to play inside her mind over and over again. It was haunting her.

Priya didn’t hear Ulrike’s words physically, but they came into her mind. She was using their special bond for the first time since she had arrived in Sweden. Priya wasn’t sure whether her words were making her feel better or worse.

_‘Priya.. Listen to me. We’re in this together. If something is bothering you, you should be able to talk about it with me, no matter what. And I’ll tell you if I’m facing troubles. You’re not alone.. Please let me in..’_

“N-No.. I just need to rest for a moment, that’s all..” Priya answered silently.

_‘I’m sorry darling, I didn’t want to use these powers on you, but you give me no other choice..’_

Suddenly Priya couldn’t control her body anymore, no matter how hard she tried. Her body stood up and began walking towards the door fluidly, and Priya understood what was going on. Ulrike was using her mind controlling powers on her. That made her feel almost betrayed. Priya had thought they both were equals..

Priya opened the door unwillingly and moved aside for Ulrike to get in. As soon as Ulrike had walked into the room and closed the door behind her to keep Priya from running away, she grabbed Priya’s hand and held them tight.

“What happened, my petal? What has made you so fidgety and melancholic?” Ulrike asked out loud, letting their powers flow through their entwined hands like calming waves. Priya, still under Ulrike’s powers, couldn’t stop herself from answering.

“My friends found me.. They tried to make me come back home, but I rejected that idea.. I wanted to protect them.. I still want to protect them. Then, one of my friends, Chelsea, tried to hug me so I panicked and threw a tree on her.. I don’t know what happened to her, and I feel so guilty I want to die..” Priya told the story to Ulrike, tears starting to form in her eyes.

As Priya’s first tears started to roll down her cheek, Ulrike gently swiped it away with her thumb, cradling Priya's face in her hands now. It nearly felt intimate if you ignored the fact that Priya was being mind controlled to speak and behave.

“So your friends came after you?” Ulrike questioned and Priya nodded her head slowly, “Oh, that was predictable. I’m not surprised. What should we do with them?” Ulrike continued and Priya’s breathing hitched.

“Oh please, please don’t hurt them! They don’t deserve any more misfortune! I tried to tell them to go back, but I don’t know if they will listen.. Just please.. Don’t hurt them.. Have you never had friends of your own?” Priya begged, her full lips trembling. 

“Yes. You’re my friend, and they’re clearly hurting you because you’re crying and shaking like this.” Ulrike said coldly, her eyes scanning the depths of Priya’s teary eyes.

“They’re not hurting me.. I hurt them,” Priya quickly shook her head, wanting to back away under Ulrike’s demanding gaze, but was unable, “And that’s not what I meant! Didn’t you know love and friendship before you became a Huldra?” Priya wanted to know. She wanted to know more about Ulrike; not about her powers or her body, but more about who she was before she was cursed to roam the earth for eternity.

“You really want to know?” Ulrike asked seriously and Priya nodded. Ulrike sighed and let go of Priya, “Let’s sit down. This calls for a story time.” 

They both sat down on the dusty floor. Ulrike was no longer mind controlling Priya, but Priya stayed willingly because she was intrigued. Hooked. She needed to know. Ulrike inhaled and exhaled deeply for a few moments before speaking up. 

“I was born in the early 1600s. I was named Ulrike Karin Johansdotter by my parents. My parents were farmers from a nearby house that no longer exists. I was their first child that survived above the age of three. I never met my older siblings. I later got a sister and two brothers, although my younger little brother nearly died from smallpox and he could barely walk afterwards. My parents were good people, you know. Rather poor, but we made enough to get by. My father’s parents lived with us until they died as they were living in the house before even having my father..” Ulrike told about her childhood as a human. 

“Do you know what happened to your parents and siblings after you were turned? Did they look for you?” Priya interjected with a question.

“Yeah, I kept my eye on them until they either moved away or died. They did look for me at first, but they thought that I either ran away or had been attacked by a wild animal. My father died at the age of 55 and my mother lived to be 68. My little sister moved away when she got married to a man. My older little brother stayed to watch over the farm and he took my father's place when my father died. He went on to marry and have five kids before he died at the age of 61. My younger little brother died at the age of 20. He killed himself. I saw him do it. I wanted to stop him, but I couldn’t.. I was afraid he would first kill me and then himself had he seen the Huldra me..” Ulrike looked at the floor with a distraught, sorrowful look on her face. 

“Oh, I.. I’m so sorry.. I don’t know that to say..” Priya whispered and wrapped her arm around Ulrike’s shoulders.

“It’s fine.. It’s been nearly 400 years since that happened anyway.. I do miss them though sometimes, but I don’t want to think about it too much,” Ulrike sighed before continuing with her tragic backstory, “So, I was turned by my elder Huldra when I was 21. I was going to feed the cows, when I heard some weird sounds from the forest. So I walked in and saw this Huldra, Mille, riding this poor man from our neighboring house. I accidentally dropped the buckets of cow food and Mille noticed me. I tried to run away but she was faster and she marked me right then and there.. I.. I never went home, and Mille forced me to join her and the man.. That was the first time I ever was intimate with a man. Or a woman. That poor man.. He had a heart attack.. That sometimes happens when a Huldra is intimate one too many times with a human. It was all too much for him.” Ulrike shook her head, remembering the moment that had changed her life. 

“What happened to Mille? Did she teach you like you taught me? Were you ever intimate with her?” So many questions ran through Priya’s head and she felt overwhelmed by the story.

“Mille..” Ulrike smiled gently, “She was one of the few lucky ones. She managed to marry a man, and the curse was lifted. I kind of set her up with my older little brother when he was old enough. Mille taught me, yes. She was a good teacher. But I was never intimate with her without it being a threesome with a human man. I never felt any sexual attraction towards females, and neither did she. You.. You really are an exception, Priya. I hope you’re aware of that.” Ulrike smiled and looked up to Priya. Priya’s face flushed at the comment, and she coyly looked away when Ulrike was staring at her. 

“I.. I didn’t think I liked girls before, either.. I’ve had many boyfriends and sexual partners that have been male, but no female partners..” Priya bit her lip. Ulrike’s hand found it’s way on Priya’s knee and gave it a firm squeeze.

“No need to act shy. Life is sometimes a funny thing. We were both each other’s firsts in that regard.” Ulrike winked playfully. Priya cleared her throat nervously.

“Did you have any difficulties regarding settling into your new life as a Huldra?” Priya questioned, wondering whether Ulrike had gone through similar feelings and thoughts as she was going through right now.

“For sure. I absolutely hated the turning process, and even when I was a full-fledged Huldra, I used to lament over my lost life. The worst moments were when my family members died and when Mille left me. Her leaving made me feel so lonely in this large forest. She did occasionally come visit me, but once she had her kids, her visitations became less and less frequent.. But I was happy for her, of course! She was living the life I had always dreamt of having..” Ulrike trailed off and Priya looked at her with a shocked expression, “Oh no, I didn’t mean that I wanted to marry and have children with my brother, not like that! I just always thought I would find a man, settle down and have kids.. But 400 years later, and my womb is still void of a baby and my left ring finger is bare.”

“I truly am sorry, Ulrike..” Priya sighed and was about to add something, but Ulrike beat her to it.

“No need to apologize, really. We all leave something behind when we’re turned. You’re currently in the process of abandoning your dreams, your friends, your family… Your past. I should be here for you more.” Ulrike smiled and suddenly, it looked like she had an idea, “I actually have an idea that could help you to adjust to your new life.. It’s this fun little potion that’s not too hard to make, but I do need you to get me a few ingredients..” Ulrike trailed off in thought.

“What are the ingredients?” Priya asked, holding her breath. After hearing Ulrike’s back story, she feels like she’s closer with her than ever before. Like she truly could understand her. No one else would, not anymore anyway.

“I need… a deer’s skull, thyme, roseroot and some ferns.. Those shouldn’t be too difficult to find, right?” Ulrike grinned at Priya.

“A deer’s skull? Do I need to kill a deer?!” Priya asked, flabbergasted. She thought that as a Huldra, you wouldn’t want to hurt the animals of the forest.

“Eh, you can probably find a sick, a dying or a dead deer somewhere.. It’s the law of nature. Weak individuals have to give way to the strong.” Ulrike said without blinking. It nearly scared Priya. 

“Uh.. Well, I’ll go look for those ingredients right now!” Priya promised and quickly stood up, making her way out of the room.

“You’re a dear!” Ulrike hummed after her.

~*~

[MC, Bobby, Lucas, Lottie, Kassam & Shannon]

“I guess we should try and find that well.. I remember there being a bucket there. And there was a little bit of water in the well..” Bobby suggested.

“Good luck leading us there, Mr. no-sense-of-direction guy..” Lottie scoffed, turning up her nose at him.

“What ideas do you have?” Bobby huffed and crossed his arms. Lottie went quiet, thinking about an alternative plan. 

“Let’s just try our best in finding the well.. I don’t think we have many other choices..” MC sighed and began walking aimlessly to a random direction. 

“Walking around aimlessly isn’t going to help us far.. Bobby, do you have even the slightest idea on which direction the well could be in?” Lucas questioned. Bobby looked concentrated, scanning the surrounding woods, racking his brain as hard as he could.

“I think… It’s that way. That’s what my gut is telling me.” Bobby said and pointed to a completely different direction from where MC was currently going. 

“Your gut? Seriously?” Shannon sighed and shook her head.

“Our guts never lie!” Lottie exclaimed with a grin. The group decided to follow Bobby’s lead, although all of them had their doubts - even Bobby. 

…

After walking around in the forest for closer to an hour, the group magically found the well and the burnt down shed. Bobby nearly didn’t believe his eyes once he realized that they had found it.

“Woohoo! Who’s talking big now, Lottie?!” He laughed and rejoiced, running to the well to grab the bucket. MC chuckled at her fiancé’s antics and couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah that, you found it.. Good job,” Lottie sighed but soon grinned, power-walking to the well as well and peering in, “Woah, the water looks so murky and dark..”

“Didn’t you tell us that Henrik and Ibrahim fell down there?” Kassam questioned and made his way towards the well as well.

“Well, they didn’t really fall there.. Ibrahim set himself on fire and Henrik pushed him in the well to put him out and Henrik descended down there to make sure that Ibrahim wouldn’t drown.” Bobby explained with a sad expression, remembering those crazy moments. He had been so sure that Ibrahim wouldn’t have made it, Henrik would’ve been stuck in the well forever and that the whole forest would’ve burnt down. 

“Poor Rahim.. He must have really lost his mind after Jo..” Shannon bit her lip anxiously, looking at the ground. 

“Yeah.. I couldn’t even recognize him when he begged us to kill him and when he threatened to kill himself. I’m really surprised he joined us on this trip..” Bobby frowned and looked at the bucket, “Um.. Do any of you have rope with you?” he asked, seeing that the bucket still didn’t have rope attached to it.

“I do!” Lucas quickly shouted and began to rummage through his rucksack. Eventually he found the rope and handed it to Bobby. While the exchange happened, the two men were staring at each other intensely. 

“Well, that seems tense..” Lottie whispered into MC’s ear, who nodded, “Do you know why they’re acting like this?”Lottie asked her quietly.

“I have an idea..” MC admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly. Lottie only took one look at MC’s face before grinning knowingly. 

“I have an idea what you mean by that!” Lottie chuckled loudly. MC shushed Lottie and the group just watched as Bobby retrieved murky water from the well. The group gathered around the bucket, peering into it.

“That water looks.. Really nasty,” Kassam frowned, “It’s so dark and dirty.. It almost looks like there’s blood in the mix..” He thought out loud.

“Well, yeah.. Ibrahim was bleeding from the burns when Henrik pushed him in, so it’s possible that there’s blood..” Bobby sighed and looked into the dark bucket of water. The bottom of the bucket could not be seen.

“So you’re saying.. That there’s Ibrahim’s blood in this bucket of water?” Shannon asked, shocked and disgusted, “Excuse me, I feel sick..” Shannon gagged and walked away from the bucket, holding her stomach. 

“Maybe we should find cleaner water just in case.. I don’t know if bringing this to Askafroa would offend her..” MC proposed and refused to look at the bucket of dirt water.

“But.. At least this has many nutrients! Right?” Bobby tried to make something up, but MC shook her head, “Well, Askafroa is a monster, right? Maybe she would like a human sacrifice like blood?” 

“Bobby, it’s rude to assume that every monster likes blood!” Lottie scolded Bobby, “I do think we should find a spring or a pond and get some cleaner water.. It can’t be hard to find a spring or pond here, yeah? We’ve seen multiple!” Lottie added. 

“I agree.. Before our trips to here, I didn’t even believe in the paranormal, but now I think… No, I KNOW that we should not mess with powers we don’t know.” Lucas said sternly.

“Yeah, let’s go find cleaner water.. Bobby, put the water back in the well.” Kassam spoke and pointed at the bucket. Bobby looked as if he wanted to protest, but gave up fast.

“Okay, you’re right.. Better to be safe than sorry..” Bobby sighed and drained the bucket from the water with a forlorn expression.

“Now we should go. We don’t want to stay separated from the bigger group for longer than we need, so preferably we’re done with this before the sunset.. That’s also when the Draugr appears, so the forest is even more dangerous then..” Shannon insisted as she walked back to the group as the bloody water was now gone back in the well.

“Yeah.. Let’s get moving!” MC smiled at the group, encouraging everyone to go on albeit the tense relations and their difficult and dangerous situation. Bobby and Lucas beamed at MC, knowing that she is their beacon of light during these awful times.

Just as they had resumed walking in search of a clean water source, they heard a loud scream from somewhere in the forest, scaring them half to death. It echoed on and on and on, mockingly sending multiple shivers down the group member’s spines.

“Do you think.. That was one of our friends?” Lottie asked, petrified.

“Or a monster?” Kassam suggested, audibly gulping.

“Chelsea! Marisol! Hope!” MC shouted, but did not get a reply of any kind.

“Henrik! Gary! Ibrahim!” Lucas yelled, to no avail. 

“I don’t think they can hear us..” Bobby frowned and looked around, paranoid.

“Let’s carry on.. In case it was a monster and now it knows our location..” Shannon hurried the others and continued walking, scanning the woods for any sort of movement.

“Let’s hope it was only an animal..” Lottie whispered in a low tone.

“I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t particularly enjoy running into a bear or a wolf here, although I must admit that monsters can sometimes be scarier.” Lucas rolled his eyes, but a hint of mischief could be detected in his tone of speech.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This must be the longest chapter of this story so far! I've tried keeping this story's chapters shorter than MWN's, but this chapter has a lot going on.. Well, what do you think of Ulrike's back story? Did it surprise you? Do you believe she's telling the truth, or is this just another way to manipulate Priya?


	10. State of Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The larger group finds a new interesting area with a haunting past. The smaller group returns to their new "affiliate"; will they get the answers they've been looking for? Priya learns the hard way the necessity of death within life.

[Gary, Henrik, Chelsea, Carl, Graham, Marisol, Rahim, Rocco, Hope]

“So, did anyone see where they ran off to?” Gary asked the group, trying to figure out where Lottie, MC, Bobby, Lucas, Shannon and Kassam had gone to. 

“No, I didn’t even notice them leaving or missing…” Rocco admitted with a guilty look. The others nodded along to his statement, revealing that they weren’t sure either.

“Well.. What are we going to do now? We have to find them!” Hope asked with wide eyes, knowing how dangerous the forest and waters were for smaller groups especially. 

“MC has one of the walkie-talkies.. Maybe she can contact us? Or maybe we can contact her?” Carl wondered and took out his walkie-talkie. When he tried to turn it on, a horrible sound screeched out of it. Carl quickly turned it off, “Odd.. Something must be messing with the electrical network.. Henrik, can you try yours in case my one is just malfunctioning?”

“Sure!” Henrik replied and took out his walkie-talkie. He turned it on, but only static could be heard, “Dead signal.. Why is this happening right now?” He sighed and just as he was about to turn it off, a faint voice sneaked through the speaker:

_‘Vi ska bli en igen, i evighet … Förlåta mig, mitt kära skatt … Du ska inte bli ensam där’_

“Wait, that didn’t sound like MC.. That was way too deep to be her!” Chelsea gasped and stared at the walkie-talkie, horrified.

“Yes, it sounded like a man..” Ibrahim bit his lip with anxiety and furrowed his brows, “And someone was certainly singing it.. It sounded so melancholic!” 

“Maybe the walkie-talkie accidentally connected to radio for a short moment before fixing the problem itself?” Graham pondered, mouth slightly agape from the weird occurrence. 

“Was that Swedish, Henrik?” Carl made sure and Henrik nodded, thoughtful. 

“It was certainly in Swedish.. But.. I’ve never heard a song like this before, although there was something familiar about the voice for some reason..” Henrik ran his free hand through his long blonde locks and brought the walkie-talkie close to his ear. Just static. 

“Well, what did it mean? We don’t speak Swedish, Henrik..” Marisol sighed impatiently. 

“Something like.. We will be one again, in eternity. Forgive me, my dear treasure. You will not be lonely there.. It sounds like a sad ballad to me..” Henrik guessed, turning off the walkie-talkie before putting it back to his rucksack. 

“So are we sure it wasn’t any boy from the missing group.. Did it sound like Bobby, Lucas or Kassam in your opinion?” Rocco concluded, even though his expression already held the answer.

“Somehow I don’t see Bobby as the melancholic love song kind of guy!” Gary grinned. 

“Lucas is a great singer, but it didn’t sound like him.. Lucas has a clear ring to his singing voice, whereas this person’s voice came out as very raspy..” Hope analyzed with her previous experience in singing. 

“That music is not Kassam’s style at all.. And I don’t think he is very comfortable singing in front of people. He just likes DJing..” Graham replied lastly before silence filled the air.

“Let’s just go with Graham’s theory about the walkie-talkie accidentally connecting to radio.. Especially if Henrik thought it sounded familiar. Maybe it’s a less popular song from a well-known Swedish artist that we haven’t heard of before, but that Henrik knows..” Marisol proposed with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. Graham smiled at her, silently thanking her for backing him up. 

“It’s would be a probable explanation.. And the longer we stay put and arguing about this subject, the farther away the other group will make it. I say we start moving soon.” Carl declare and the rest of the former islanders agreed with him. Hope helped Chelsea to walk with her sprained ankle and Gary supported Henrik when he needed it. 

…

“Walking around aimlessly like this is useless, we’re never going to find them like this!” Hope sighed deeply, worn out by supporting Chelsea the whole way and from the lack of findings regarding their missing friends.

“I’m sure we’re going to stumble upon something helpful soon! Maybe something that is related to our friends, Priya, the monsters.. Anything at--!” Carl was half-way cheering up Hope when he was cut short as he fell to the ground, “Ouch! What was that?!” He shouted and quickly whipped around to see what had caused him to stumble. 

He had tripped onto a large, moss-covered stone sticking out of the ground from the middle of the clearing. Looking around him, he could actually see multiple similar stones in similar positions. The rest of the former islanders caught onto Carl’s thought process rather quickly, and began to examine the odd stones.

“What are these? Ground markers? What do they indicate?” Ibrahim wondered as he ran his hand down the cold surface of the mossy stone. 

“Oh.. Oh! Give me a second!” Henrik shouted and quickly walked farther away from the stones, closer to the edge of the dark forest.

“Henrik! Where are you going?” Gary shouted after him, worried for his health and safety. 

“I said, give me a second!” Henrik backed even further away and then began to stare intently at the stones, circling around them like a shark circles around a sinking ship.

“Maybe this is like, the Swedish Stonehenge!” Chelsea laughed and sat onto one of the stones, “They don’t make super comfortable chairs though..” She huffed in disappointment. 

“Aha!” Henrik suddenly yelled victoriously after circling the stones a few times, “I know what they are now! Babe, stop disrespecting the dead!” Henrik added and pointed at Chelsea as he was walking closer to the group again. Chelsea jumped up, wincing as the sudden movement hurt her ankle.

“Disrespecting the dead? What do you mean?” Rocco questioned as he examined one of the stones closer.

“Do you mean.. That this is a graveyard?” Marisol guessed nervously.

“Bingo! This is a viking burial ground. I can tell it by the shape of it. If you look farther away, you'll notice that the stones are erected in the shape of a ship. That was an early burial custom in Scandinavia, Northern Germany and the Baltic states, especially popular with vikings as they believed that a ship was necessary to take the spirit to Valhalla!” Henrik explained skillfully. 

“Did you know that there was a viking burial ground here in this forest?” Ibrahim asked Henrik. 

“Well, I’ve heard rumors about it.. Old stories by old folk.. But I’ve never seen this myself, and frankly I thought it wasn’t true as these stone ships are mostly found in Southern Sweden..” Henrik replied thoughtfully. 

“We should call a museum about this finding, right?” Marisol hummed excitedly, happy to be part of a moment where they found something so old and historical by accident. 

“That’s not our number one priority right now, though.. Maybe once when all of this is over,” Graham sighed as he looked over the stones, “Why is this one large stone just in the middle of everything? It seems so out of place. Was it their leader or something?” 

“I think that’s probably the case. I don’t know if this is a common practice, but it makes sense!” Henrik beamed as he walked up to the large stone in the middle. He rested his palm against the cool stone, closing his eyes momentarily. 

“Well, it makes me feel rather uncomfortable to just chill on a burial ground like this.. Can we leave?” Hope frowned with sorrowful eyes.

“Let’s go.” Henrik suddenly opened his eyes and backed away from the large stone in haste, clenching the hand he had just been resting up against the main stone. 

“Huh? Did something happen?” Rocco asked, surprised by Henrik’s sudden shift of mood. 

“Let’s leave. Now!” Henrik ordered and started to make his way out of the clearing, not bothering to wait for Gary to support him. 

“Henrik! Wait up! What’s wrong?” Carl shouted and ran up to Henrik, grabbing his shoulder, but Henrik didn’t stop moving. The rest of the group soon followed, looking over their shoulders to see the burial ground again. 

Henrik never looked back. 

For the next 15 minutes, they all tried to pry information out of Henrik, but he didn’t even pay attention to them. He just kept walking forward, never slowing down or looking back. 

“Babe! Please stop!” Chelsea yelped as she wasn’t used to walking this fast without stopping with her sprained ankle, and Hope was getting tired from supporting her the whole way.

And he did. For the first time since they left the burial site, he stopped. He turned around the face the group, a serious look on his face. Gloomy, one could even say.

“Henrik.. What’s going on? You’re acting strange..” Gary asked worriedly as Henrik just stared them down. Then Henrik lifted up his arm and showed his palm to the group. 

It had a weird symbol burnt on the tender skin of the palm, red and painful-looking. 

“Are you hurt?!” Ibrahim asked and walked up to Henrik to get a closer look at the symbol. He carefully touched it. It felt hot, but Henrik didn’t even flinch.

“Not really.. It.. Itches, I guess?” Henrik explained, his tone of voice frustrated. 

‘“Did something happen at the burial ground? Did you see something?” Marisol inquired, remembering the visions that she had seen earlier that day.

“No, I didn’t see anything.. But I felt something.” Henrik spoke darkly, staring into the distance with furrowed eyes. 

“Yeah, the place had some crazy vibes, bro..” Rocco agreed, exchanging glances between the other members of the group. 

“I mean, now that you mention it, I guess you’re right,” Henrik nodded thoughtfully, “But that’s not all.. I didn’t notice anything odd at first, but when I touched the large stone in the middle.. It felt odd. Like.. Something was moving. Back and forth. Like waves, fluid and endless.. But that’s not supposed to happen when you touch a stone, right? Then I got a feeling that we’re not alone.. And I just felt like we had to leave, that we weren’t welcome there..” Henrik explained his intentions and odd behavior. 

“That sounds really odd..” Carl agreed, racking his brain for natural explanations to Henrik’s experience.

“What is that symbol, then?” Hope wondered, gazing intently at the red lines against Henrik’s pale skin.

“Looks like a rune to me..” Henrik sighed, took off his rucksack and took out the large tome. He flipped several pages, before concentrating on to the text in front of him, “Othila.. The rune of home, family and inheritance. It may symbolize ancestral country, property and fixed wealth that is passed from generation to generation. It involves ancestral spiritual power, which connects us to our genetic wisdom and links us back to the first humans.. We inherit ourselves.”

“Ooh, mysterious! Why can’t they ever write these descriptions to be a little simpler to understand? We need Lottie to decipher this..” Chelsea laughed dryly, playing with her hair.

“I think.. The main message here is connecting back to your roots and finding the voices of you ancestors within..” Marisol said before she could even realize that her mouth was moving and her vocal cords making sounds.

“Woah, that was profound..” Rocco admitted with amazement, seeing Marisol in a new light. 

“Okay, so maybe the stone had this rune carved into it, and you didn’t notice, and now it’s visible in your skin. Maybe there’s no bigger message?” Carl clicked his tongue.

“For over 15 minutes without fading the slightest?” Henrik sighed and looked at his palm, puzzled, “I guess it could happen.. But I have a weird feeling.. That it wanted to be seen.”

~*~

[MC, Bobby, Lucas, Lottie, Kassam & Shannon]

Meanwhile the smaller group had managed to find a spring full of clear, clean water, and were in the middle of filling the bucket with the see-through liquid. 

“Luckily this forest seems to have rather many water sources.. Ponds, springs, it’s close to the large lake.. We’re not running out of water any time soon!” Bobby laughed, now in a better mood as they had achieved one of their objectives.

“So, now we only gotta bring this back to that tree lady, right?” Kassam made sure, examining the bucket full of water, “Better not drop it.” 

“Askafroa. That’s the tree lady’s name. And yes, and while we pour the water, we must recite this spell in Swedish.” MC reminded the group of the encounter with Askafroa.

“Swedish? Why did she have to make it hard for us? Can’t we just promise to not hurt her tree?” Shannon sighed, not thrilled about having to reminisce a spell in a strange language.

“I’ve only recited spells in Latin..” Lottie frowned, finding it hard to believe that all of her manifestation of not returning here hadn’t worked.

“Cheer up guys, the sentence wasn’t that hard! Now, repeat after me; _Nu offrar jag, så gör du oss ingen skada._ ” MC tried to teach the others to recite the spell.

“ _Nu offrar jag, så gör du oss ingen skada._ ” Lucas nailed it right away.

“Ny offer jak, so kör ju us inken skoda.” Bobby struggled with the sentence. 

“ _Nu offrar jag, så_.. Oh fuck, how did it continue again?” Kassam sighed and had to start over.

“ _Nu.. offrar.. jag.. så_.. skada oss du ingen gör?” Lottie fumbled with the correct sentence structure.

“Now I offer so.. I don’t know what the last part would translate to..” Shannon tried to find a way to say it in English, but it was all in vain as she couldn’t understand the last part. 

“Concentrate! I don’t know what happens if we mispronounce it.. _Nu offrar jag, så gör du oss ingen skada!_ ” MC kept repeating the sentence to the crew until all of them learnt to say it correctly, in a correct order and in the correct language. 

“How did you learn it so fast?” Lucas asked, surprised at how natural MC sounded at Swedish. 

“Anna rubbed off on me!” MC’s laugh rang through the air, “But in all honesty, after we returned home, I did buy a workbook to learn some basic Swedish.. I just.. Wanted to understand the messages and everything.” MC explained with a serious face. 

“Oh, so that’s the book you kept reading?” Bobby gasped, now remembering the book that MC had ordered from an online bookstore. 

“Yeah. Swedish is not that hard actually. It’s a Germanic language just like English.” MC shrugged nonchalantly, as if learning a new language wasn’t a big deal. 

“Well, your skill has proven helpful here. That’s all what matters, really.” Shannon complimented MC with a small smile. 

“So.. Have you gotten any strange text messages again?” Kassam questioned, not remembering that MC had mentioned anything about new messages this trip. 

“Nope. They stopped. And I can’t text the number back anymore. I guess the sender got what it was looking for..” MC explained, bittersweetness emitting from her eyes. 

“So.. Shall we go back to Askafroa now? Let’s not waste any more time!” Lottie hurried the group along.

“Oh no.. I forgot to watch where we’re going in detail.. I hope we’ll be able to find our way back..” Bobby blushed, suddenly feeling a little stupid.

“Don’t worry. I did that just in case no one else would..” Shannon hummed proudly, starting to walk off in the right direction. 

Just as they were about to leave, MC heard a sound coming from the spring behind them. Curiously, she made her way on the edge of the spring, peering in. 

The vision that awaited her was terrible. She saw something pulling tightly on Gary’s arm, and Gary screaming in pain, his face twisting and contorting as if he had never experienced a similar pain. MC could see how Gary’s arm looked as if it was about to be ripped from his body, but then, the water returned to normal, and MC could only see her reflection once more. 

“Did you guys hear and see that?” She asked while turning towards the group. They just looked at MC, dumbfounded, shaking their heads.

“What did you see, MC?” Lucas asked, beginning to worry for MC’s mental state and alertness. MC felt a shiver running down her spine as she imagined it again. She looked Lottie in the eyes, seeing all of that hope and determination, the will to live.

She couldn’t tell her. Not now

“Oh, um.. I just saw something similar to what Marisol said she saw.. I guess I’m getting kinda tired too, no big deal!” MC laughed and tried to brush it all off, ignoring the voice in her head, yelling her to spit out the truth. She just couldn’t bare to scare Lottie right now when she was separated from Gary.

“Oh, well.. I’m sure it was nothing to worry about right now, then. We can discuss it later if you want to!” Lottie smiled encouragingly at MC and pat her on the back. If only she knew.

“Yeah, sure.. Let’s just.. Let’s just leave.. I feel like we’re being watched..” MC sighed, looking at the ground. The others nodded and they started to walk back to Askafroa’s clearing.

…

“And.. We’re here! This is where we hid from MC.” Shannon declared as she had lead the group back to the start. The group peeked from behind the tree and bushes, and were relieved to see that Shannon was correct. They saw a familiar ash tree in the middle of the clearing, emitting strange energy now that they knew what to watch out for. 

“So, you all remember the phrase? _Nu offrar jag, så gör du oss ingen skada_ ,” MC made sure and one by one, each member of the group nodded, “Great! So let’s go! Don’t drop the bucket now, Bobby!” She laughed and winked at Bobby playfully.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, lass!” Bobby chuckled and so the group walked up to the ash tree. MC took the bucket from there and began to water the roots while all of them chanted the spell all in perfect unison and precision. 

They saw together how the ash tree began to transform back into the shape of a beautiful woman, and soon again Askafroa was smiling back at them.

“Back so soon? What a pleasant surprise,” Askafroa said to MC before taking a better look at the other people, “Oh, and your stalkers have decided to join us. How pleasant. My name is Askafroa, and I am the guardian of the ash tree..” She added calmly, not surprised to see the additions.

“You.. You knew we were there?” Kassam asked, a little bit embarrassed that they weren’t being as sly as they would’ve hoped to be.

“Yes. It was rather obvious. I have great senses.” Askafroa replied with an amused expression.

“Why didn’t you bust us?” Shannon inquired, surprised by Askafroa’s calm reaction.

“I wanted to see how things would play out, I suppose.. That’s how you and I are similar, Shannon.” Askafroa slipped the group a mysterious smile with a low hum.

“You know our names?!” Lucas nearly yelled, so surprised he was, “How? We haven’t told you anything..” He frowned. 

“I keeps tabs on what’s happening in the forest. The trees love to gossip and whisper secrets in my ears..” Askafroa looked straight into Lucas’ eyes with intensity.

“Well, as long as I’m concerned, we made a deal. You promised to tell us about Priya and Ulrike. So please, tell us.. We need to know how to help our friend!” MC cleared her throat, successfully catching Askafroa’s attention.

“Oh yes.. I do not back away from my promises.. Where should I start?” Askafroa wondered and stretched her woody arms, “Priya’s really lost and confused. There are moments when she really loves her new life and is so enamored by Ulrike, but there are also moments when the charm is broken and she really misses you and her old life.. She’s still struggling with what she wants. It doesn’t help that Ulrike is doing her best to wrap her around her finger, pretending to be weaker than she is and seducing her over and over again..” Askafroa spoke slowly and clearly, making sure that each and every word is being understood.

“Oh, poor Priya..” Lottie sighed deeply, imagining how Priya must be feeling right now.

“And that’s not all.. Priya keeps following you guys every once in a while, making sure you’re fine.. But I also know that Ulrike has a plan.. She plans to make a potion that makes the turning process quicker. Normally.. Priya would still have a month before she would turn into a full-fledged Huldra, but Ulrike is trying to make sure it happens quicker with the potion. Once Priya has turned into a full-fledged Huldra, her only hope is to marry a human man..” Askafroa looked at her long fingers while telling the story, looking a little bored.

“What? How long do we have then?!” MC gasped, horrified to hear that they have a definite deadline to save Priya.

“Until the next full moon..” Askafroa exhaled deeply and looked at the blue sky.

“That means.. In three days. Crap.” Lottie furrowed her brows and rubbed her temples, the realization really hitting her. 

“Three days!? That’s not enough!” Bobby yelled, panicking.

“Maybe she can refuse to drink it?” Kassam suggested, but Askafroa shook her head with a sad smile.

“That’s unlikely. Ulrike can either charm her to her every beck and call.. Or force her to drink it if she says no. Priya doesn’t really have a free will in this choice, I’m afraid.” Askafroa replied apologetically, her mouth forming a straight line.

“Is there something we can do to reverse the potion? Or to reverse her transformation? Is there anything we can do?!” MC demanded to know. It felt like ground was breaking underneath her, sucking her into endless void and darkness. If she drank that potion.. It would be a game over for them, and they would never see Priya again. If they could even make it out alive at all. 

“Hmmh, let me think..” Askafroa contemplated something, weighing her options, “I’m nearly not as powerful and old as Ulrike, so I can’t do much to fight her.. And it wouldn’t be smart for me to do that, anyway..” 

The group member’s faces fell, the light of hope slowly burning out from their eyes. MC sniffed, and Bobby wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. Askafroa looked at the disgruntled group in silence, when she got an idea. 

“I have one idea.. But if it doesn’t work, then I’m all out of bounds,” Askafroa said quietly, as if trying to keep this conversation a secret. Everyone's faces lit up again one by one, determination arising, “But you have to do this in absolute secrecy. Ulrike, Priya, or any monster or creature, can’t know. If someone knows.. I’ll be killed. And you will be killed too.” 

“Anything at this point works for us..” Lottie whispered, just as desperate as everyone else.

“Okay, so… You need to bring me a few ingredients. They are not the easiest to obtain, but.. It’s not impossible, I think.. Although no one has survived to tell the tale.” Askafroa spoke barely audibly, glancing around shiftily. 

“Find you ingredients? We just brought you water! What more do you want?” Bobby sighed, but Askafroa shushed him with a dirty look.

“We’ll find them. Even if it’s the last thing we’ll do.” MC promised with a dark yet determined expression on her face.

“MC, it’s dangerous, think about it aga--” Lucas tried to speak her out of it, but MC wasn’t having any of it.

“I’ll never forgive myself if Priya was turned and we didn’t even try to do anything to save her. This whole journey would have been in vain. The deaths of our friends would have been in vain. I am not giving up now. I am not giving up on Priya, but if you are, then just leave.” MC gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. 

“That’s not what I meant, I..” Lucas thought about it for a while, looking at the other four before taking in a deep breath and speaking up again, “Fine. We’re in this together. We’re not going to leave you. We’re going to save Priya.” The others nodded along approvingly.

“Great.. So the ingredients you’ll need to find.. Well, the first one is relatively simple. You just need ashes.” Askafroa spoke as quietly as she could. 

“Okay, ashes. What else?” Shannon asked while scanning the surrounding areas. 

“Next up, you need blood. A lot of blood. You need so much blood, that you can mix the blood and ashes together. Preferably you have a little more blood than ashes in the mix.” Askafroa continued the list of ingredients. 

“Blood magick? No wonder you said this is a dangerous mission..” Lottie sighed, having read a lot about black and blood magick. 

“Yes, and next up.. You need human bones. And you need to tie those bones into a rune, that represents protection, sanctuary and higher self. It’s called Algiz. It kind of looks like elk’s antlers.” Askafroa explained with a hushed voice, leaving the members confused by what Algiz really looked like. Before they could ask her, however, she had already moved on.

“And lastly.. This is the last step. The most dangerous step. Listen closely. Your life may depend on it. No one has made it past this step. You need to find Näcken’s ring.” Askafroa told them, her voice serious and hushed.

“Näcken’s what?” Bobby gasped silently, unsure if he had heard her correctly. 

“Näcken’s ring. There’s a story to that, but this is not the right time or the right place to get into it. There’s only one way to get the ring from him. If you fail to convince him.. He’ll kill you. But if you manage to convince him to give up the ring, you can complete your mission.” Askafroa cleared the situation, her eyes gleaming with something indescribable as she spoke. 

“But how can we convince him?” Kassam asked the question on everybody’s lips. Askafroa froze for a second before her stomach opened up and she reached inside her abdomen, producing a violin and a bow and offering it to the group. MC took the items with shaking hands, shocked about what she had just seen.

“Take this, you’ll need it. I can only hope one of you knows how to play it.. You need to-- Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! Leave! Quickly!” Askafroa yelled in whisper and started to transform back into her tree form.

“But you need to tell us how to convince Näcken!” Shannon muttered in panic, her mouth agape. Now they felt it too. Heavy, eerily familiar footsteps. The whole ground shook beneath them.

“Find the story of two star-crossed lovers of _Tystsjö_!” Those were the last words Askafroa managed to say before turning back into a tree. Even her face was gone, and the trunk was totally motionless and lacking of the energy of Askafroa.

“We need to hide! It’s coming!” Lucas hissed and the group quickly ran to the opposite direction where the sound was coming from and hid into the bushes and behind the largest trees. Their bodies were shivering from fear, as they heard it coming closer. 

A troll. An ugly, large, smelly troll.. 

They stayed as quiet as they could, holding their breaths, hoping it’ll just go away. 

A mighty roar sent shivers down their spine, but they refused to move. Refused to let fear take control. 

The waiting felt like it took forever. The whole entirety of nature around them had gone quiet, as the troll smelled around and made blood-gurgling sounds. Eventually, they heard it walking away, leaving them unscathed. They waited for a few more minutes, in case it decided to return. It never did.

“We really need to find the others and soon..” MC whispered as they emerged from their hiding places, still pale and petrified, every trauma and negative memory of the last time awoken within the minds of MC, Bobby and Lottie. 

~*~

[Priya]

Priya, ignorant of everything else that was happening around her, ran through the forest to find a deer skull. She had already gathered the plants and herbs Ulrike had requested, but was still missing the most grotesque ingredient of all. 

And she didn’t want to kill a deer herself. She had seen many along the way, but looking at their beautiful, vulnerable dark brown eyes made it impossible for her to hurt them in any shape or from. When she looked into the eyes of the deer, she saw herself; lost, scared and small in the grand scheme of things. Anything could jump at them from behind the trees and bushes, and they would be gone. Just like that. 

And that look. That look that the deer gave her. They looked like they trusted her. They came up to her, asking for petting, just like a dog would. She could never hurt them.

Her thoughts came to a halt when she heard a sound from behind one of the bushes. The sound was filled with agony and desperation, and Priya simply couldn’t ignore it. Carefully and silently, she walked towards the origin of the sound. She didn’t want to startle the animal. 

She peeked behind the bush, and saw a wounded deer. It’s stomach had been ripped open by another animal, probably a bear or a wolf, and the ground below it was soaked in blood. But for one reason or another, the predator hadn’t completely finished the job and only left the poor deer to suffer until the bitter end.

That’s when their eyes met. The deer lifted it’s head slowly, giving Priya a pleading look. That gaze stopped Priya completely; it was all too familiar. When she had had her moment in front of the mirror earlier that day, she had seen those eyes. That face. That agony. It was all too familiar. It was like looking in the mirror right now. 

Priya walked on the other side of the bush and knelt down next to the dying deer. The deer let out a soft whimper, and it tried to lift its head up, but it proved to be a task too tough for it in that condition. The deer was breathing heavily as its body was starting to attract flies. Priya hushed the flies away, hoping to give the deer one silent and safe moment before it’s departure. 

“I’m so sorry this happened to you..” Priya whispered to the deer, and the deer looked up to her with wise eyes, “Soon you’ll be in a new forest. A forest where you can live in peace. A forest that is always warm and full of friends. The water never freezes, and the food is always available plentifully. You’ll never feel hungry, thirsty, cold or alone, ever again.” Tears threatened to fall as Priya pet the deer softly. The deer leaned its head against the warmth of Priya’s body, while its own body was cooling down rapidly. 

Priya pet the deer gently, trying to compose herself and keep herself calm next to the dying animal, so it wouldn’t start stressing out. Then, Priya took a deep breath and grabbed the deer by its antlers. She looked down at the deer, as if asking for a permission to release it from all of its pain and misery. Their eyes met, and the deer was looking at Priya with so much trust, serenity and admiration, that Priya knew. She knew that it wanted this, too. 

Priya braced herself, and then twisted the deer’s neck with one swift movement. The deer let out a loud, agonizing scream, and then it was gone. The breathing had ceased and life had disappeared from its dark eyes. Priya found herself screaming at the same time with the deer, their energies merging for one wonderful moment in which life and death embraced. A single tear dropped at the deer’s soft fur as Priya took out her claws and slashed the neck of the animal.

After retrieving the skull she had been looking for, she buried the deer. That was the last blessing she could offer the poor animal, so it’s carcass wouldn’t be bothered and eaten by the other animals of the forest. She marked the grave site with a slab she had found nearby and stood by it for a few moments in silence. The birds offered their condolences by singing the most hauntingly beautiful ballad Priya had ever heard. And everything was at its natural state for a moment. Undisturbed, untouched, raw. 

Priya turned away to return to Ulrike. As she was walking, she encountered more deer. Healthy, moving, full of life. She even saw this fawn that looked up to her with such familiar eyes. Eyes full of wisdom. Eyes full of trust. Life goes on. In death, we find life. And in life, we find hope. And where life meets death as equals, we find harmony. 

…

Priya walked into the headquarters and brought the ingredients to Ulrike. Ulrike was standing in front of an old, witchy cauldron, a fire already lit under it. Priya offered the ingredients to Ulrike, who thanked her with a sweet kiss on the cheek. Priya’s hands and clothes were still bloody, but she didn’t mind. 

Priya watched as Ulrike added the ingredients to the cauldron one by one. All of them, excluding the deer skull that had given Priya difficulties to obtain.

“Why aren’t you adding the deer skull?” Priya questioned like a child, watching her mother cook for the first time and not adding a tangerine to the fish soup. 

“Because we don’t need it.” Ulrike hummed, as if nothing was wrong with that sentence. Priya’s face flushed with red, thinking that she had killed the deer in vain. The thought hurt her deeply, hit her somewhere she didn’t know could be hit.

“Why did I need to retrieve it for you, then?! Do you need it for some selfish reasons?! I could’ve healed that deer! I could’ve saved it! And now it died in vain?!" Priya screamed at Ulrike, anger bubbling inside her.

Ulrike didn’t answer, just concentrated on the potion she was making.

“Hello! I’m talking to you! You.. You bitch! You made me go through all this trouble to find this dying deer, and kill it with my own hands, just to say you never needed it?! Don’t you have any empathy for nature?!” Angry tears rolled down Priya’s cheek as she was struggling to breathe.

After a long moment, Ulrike spoke up, “But didn’t you learn something by finishing off that poor deer?” She questioned Priya and turned to look at her dead in the eye.

“You could’ve found another way for me to learn some stupid lesson of yours! You don’t need to make me hurt living beings like that!” Priya huffed, her eyes aflame. 

“Didn’t you feel that gratitude? How relieved that deer was when you took away its pain? It felt safe with you. It knew that you held the power. It trusted its life in your hands, and you made the more humane choice.” Ulrike spoke, refusing to look away. 

“How was that more humane?! I could’ve healed it.. But now, now I.. I killed it!” Priya questioned Ulrike’s morale in disbelief.

“That deer.. It was abandoned by its friends and family. By its herd. It had looked death straight into its eyes, but even death had abandoned it. It had experienced too much pain for a single living being to really handle. It didn’t know anything better than dying. And you granted it its last wish. You saved it.” Ulrike pushed a strand of Priya’s hair behind her ear gently, smiling. 

And suddenly Priya understood. 

No death is in vain. Sometimes death is required for something else to flourish. If the herd had stayed with the lone deer, they all would have been vulnerable and at the risk of dying. Now, the herd was alive and has more food to eat with one less mouth to feed. It was the deer’s time to go. It couldn’t run fast enough, or fight against the predator. Things fall into place, no matter how wrong it might feel. Avoiding death can cost someone else much more that you or they could have imagined.

“Ulrike.. I understand. Sorry for shouting at you..” Priya sighed, hanging her head. Ulrike returned to the cauldron with a chuckle. 

“It’s alright… And I’m sorry too,” Ulrike apologized, and she could feel Priya’s curious gaze against her back, “I lied to you. I said we don’t need the deer skull. We actually need it, but not right now. You gotta drink from it when the time comes. I said we didn't need it because I wanted to test what you’ve learnt and whether you trust me.”

Priya wanted to scold Ulrike, to guilt her, but she couldn’t, “And.. Did I pass?” She asked quietly.

“You’ve come a long way. You’ve learnt. But.. I still hope you’d trust me more and open up to me more often..” Ulrike hummed as she stirred the potion with a large wooden spoon.

“I… I’ll work on it.” Priya promised Ulrike hastily, fidgeting with her fingers anxiously as she still hadn’t told Ulrike about everything.

“I know you will, dear, I know you will…” Ulrike smiled all-knowingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I cry while writing that deer scene? Absolutely. I feel so bad killing innocent animals.. Did any of you get emotional or was it just me? :D But now you have more mysteries to think about! How can one obtain Näcken's ring, and why does he have a ring?


	11. False Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange occurrences plague the two groups, causing confusion and chaos. Priya has a special conversation with someone she thought she could trust.

[Gary, Henrik, Chelsea, Carl, Graham, Marisol, Ibrahim, Rocco & Hope]

“Lottie! Bobby! MC! Can anyone hear me?!” Gary shouted as the group was still desperately trying to find their missing friends. The day was starting to set, and none of them particularly enjoyed the atmosphere of the upcoming night. 

“Lucas! Shannon! Kassam!” Graham shouted equally as loudly, scanning the woods around them and straining his ears for any small sounds. It was as if their friends had disappeared off the face of the earth.

“Should we just find a place to stay for the night? I’m getting the chills..” Hope sighed, shaking her head at the nearly impossible mission, “It’s possible they have already set camp somewhere safe, right?” She asked hopefully.

“Or it’s possible they’ve been captured. Or hurt. We can’t give up!” Henrik frowned and kept marching forward stubbornly, his long locks drenched in sweat. 

“Do you think they caught Priya?” Chelsea asked silently, clearly worried for the well-being of her friends and fearing the worst. 

“It seems unlikely.. Priya has some amazing new powers as we saw with her strength.. I’d guess she’s also a very fast runner and knows the forest better than us..” Carl analyzed, a sorry look on his features for sounding so pessimistic. He was just being a realist. 

“But where did they go then? Why didn’t they return to us..?” Marisol wondered out loud.

“Maybe they stayed put, hoping that we would come and find them first?” Graham suggested, glancing at Marisol from under his heavy brows.

“Or maybe they found something helpful..” Rocco added to the list of suggestions, trying to remain optimistic during these difficult times. 

_‘Ugh, this seems so useless.. We need a strategy..'_ A deep voice called out from behind the trees. The entire group stopped, tensing up, realizing how familiar that voice sounded.

“Was that.. Lucas?” Ibrahim whispered silently. Henrik shushed him with his index finger on his lips. 

_‘Can’t we just create a trap and catch them?’_ Another voice cut through. Chelsea gasped.

“That sounded like MC! They must be nearby!” She became excited, her smile reaching her eyes as she looked around herself, expecting to see familiar figures very soon.

Suddenly, behind the trees, a familiar figure DID peek through. Dark hair, tanned skin, ripped physique.. But it didn’t look at their direction, just walking to another one like a zombie.

“Lucas! Wait up!” Henrik yelled as he sprinted after his close friend, ignoring all the pain he was feeling in his back and shoulders.

“Henrik, don’t run like that! You’re hurt!” He shouted afterwards, barely containing his excitement, “Lucas! Is Lottie there?! Is she alright?!” He just had to know about his beloved.

Finally, Lucas seemed to notice them. But his eyes, they were empty and unfocused as he looked somewhere off into the distance. Lucas began to walk, but instead of walking up to the group, he just walked past them without saying a word, not even acknowledging their existence. 

“Lucas? What’s wrong?” Hope whispered as her eyes followed Lucas’ every movement as he passed them by.

“Lucas, buddy..” Ibrahim reached out to touch Lucas’ shoulder but suddenly stopped as a cold rush ran through him. Eyes wide, he suddenly felt like he didn’t even know the man walking past them. 

And before anyone could get out of their trance of unfamiliarity, Lucas had walked behind the trees and had nearly disappeared from sight. 

“Let’s follow him! What has he done to our Lucas?!” Henrik commanded and the group quickly attempted to follow Lucas into the thick forest. But when they thought they had found his track, they realized that he was gone. He had just disappeared into thin air, without any signs of him actually ever being there. 

“What the fuck just happened?” Graham asked, scratching his thick beard thoughtfully. 

“Was that even Lucas?” Rocco gasped, trying to make sense of the situation, “He kinda had his vibes, but at the same time.. He carried such a null energy..”

“When I tried to touch him, I had shivers running down my spine.. Like.. It was only his shell.. I absolutely hated that feeling.” Ibrahim furrowed his brows with a sigh. 

“Maybe we all just wanted to find them, so we collectively hallucinated him? A type of mass psychogenic illness, like the dancing manias during the Medieval Times..” Carl proposed, but even he looked unconvinced. 

“Are we really going insane in here?” Marisol cried out in distress.

“I’ve heard about something similar to what we experienced before.. But I’ve never experienced it myself, so I’m not sure if this is it..” Henrik finally spoke, surprisingly calmly.

“What is it?” Chelsea inquired, biting her lip nervously, awaiting Henrik's answer.

“It’s called _vardyger_ in Swedish.. It's a type of premonition, or a false arrival. The stories I’ve heard usually are similar to déjà vus, but kinda in reverse; it’s where a spirit with the subject’s footsteps, voice, scent, appearance or demeanor precedes the actual subject in a location.. This results in the witnesses believing they have seen or heard the actual person before the person physically arrives.” Henrik explained what he thought they might have just witnessed.

“So essentially it’s similar to doppelgänger?” Marisol questioned with a surprised look on her face, “Does this mean one of us is going to die? Or that Lucas is going to die? Some people believe that doppelgängers are omens of death..”

“No, I don’t think _vardyger_ have such sinister connotations.. I’ve never heard them meaning the death of someone. A lot of older folk have experienced it before, and they have been fine!” Henrik calmed the group down, but seemed to be deep in thought.

“Could this _vardyger_ thing explain some of the other weird happenings we’ve experienced before? The bunker, Marisol’s vision, you know?” Rocco pondered fearfully. 

“We can’t rule out the possibility.. But I don’t know..” Henrik sighed, shaking his head, “Those happenings were really bizarre.. I hope they don’t come true..” 

“Well, if _vardyger_ means that a spirit precedes the subject, shouldn’t we go to the place where we heard the sounds coming from and saw ‘Lucas’ in case he actually appears there?” Carl suggested, although he did sound a little sarcastic.

“Great idea! Let’s go back!” Gary smiled, completely missing Carl's sarcastic tone and began to walk back to the area, actually hopeful that the two groups were going to be reunited soon.

“..I wasn’t really being serious, but alright..” Carl sighed and the whole group followed Gary to the place they had heard the sounds coming from.

~*~

[MC, Bobby, Lucas, Lottie, Kassam & Shannon]

“So, we already know where to find ashes. Let’s just go back to the well and the burnt shed, there should be plenty of ashes there.” Lucas declared at the group silently, as they were still paranoid after encountering a troll. The group began to walk towards the shed while keeping a hold onto the bucket.

“Yeah, Askafroa didn’t specify what kind of ashes they should be, so I think they could work.” Shannon beamed at Lucas, “Well, what about the other ingredients? Must the blood be from a human or can we just slaughter an animal?” she inquired. 

“The only time Askafroa mentioned humans was with the bones.. So I don’t think it matters.” Kassam explained and the others nodded approvingly along.

“Great, so we just need to kill an innocent animal. What about a cute baby bunny?” Lottie wondered, looking a little salty about killing an animal. 

“She said she needs a lot though.. I don’t know if a bunny is enough..” MC thought out loud, furrowing her brows slightly. 

“You can take blood from me!” Bobby suddenly bellowed, but MC quickly shook her head.

“That’s way too much lost blood for you. Let’s just find a bigger animal or multiple smaller animals, okay? You don’t need to always be sacrificing yourself, babe..” MC shot him down accompanied with a deep sigh and grabbed Bobby’s hand into hers, squeezing it tight. 

“Or then all of us should give some blood.. As if we were donating blood for a hospital, you know?” Lottie proposed quietly.

“How will we even figure out what that rune looks like? Askafroa’s description does not help us far..” Lucas clicked his tongue with frustration.

“Hmm.. Maybe Henrik’s book has some information about runes.. Or some of the other books back in the bunker..” Kassam suggested, “That’s our best bet.” 

“But what are we going to do about the last part? Näcken’s ring.. Convincing Näcken sounds like an impossible job, and we don’t even know where to start!” Shannon stammered.

“Let’s hope we can meet the others soon enough and that Henrik has heard about the story..” Lucas groaned and looked at the violin he was carrying, “And what’s up with his violin? Do we need to play better than him or something?” 

“But Näcken’s an amazing musician! I don’t think any of us even know how to play anything with the violin..” MC shook his head depressingly. 

“Actually..” Lucas looked at the ground, embarrassed, “My parents forced me to play violin from when I was 3 to when I turned 18.. It has been a long time since I performed for anyone, but I still remember some songs from heart..” His face flushed. 

“Ah, those upper-class people and their obsession to make their children master an instrument or two.. Saving our asses, I see!” Bobby laughed and patted Lucas on the back in a friendly manner. Lucas couldn’t help but give Bobby a smile even though their relationship hadn’t been the easiest during this summer. 

“We’re here.” Kassam announced as they arrived to the shed. Kassam knelt down, zipped his rucksack open and took out one of his shirts.

“Um.. Kassam.. What are you doing?” Lottie prodded with confusion.

“I’m going to dry the bucket from water so the ash doesn’t get stuck and lumpy..” Kassam sighed and took the bucket from Bobby, beginning to dry it with his shirt.

After they had gathered enough ashes, they decided to go look for an animal they could kill for its blood. But every time they nearly caught a bunny, a rat or a deer, it slipped away.

“Ugh, this seems so useless.. We need a strategy..” Lucas sighed after a rabbit had once again escaped his grasp. 

“Can’t we just create a trap and catch them?” MC wiped sweat from her forehead, trying to stabilize her breathing after running after the animals.

“Stop! Look over there! Shannon suddenly yelled and everyone turned to look at the direction she was pointing at. Miraculously, they saw Henrik running towards them with a surprised look on his face.

“Henrik! Buddy!” Lucas shouted gleefully and began to sprint towards his friend with a wide smile on his features.

“Oh, Gary is there too! They found us!” Lottie rejoiced, her voice strangely emotional as she ran towards Gary with open arms, “Babe, you’re alright, right?” 

Just as they were about to reach those two however, Henrik and Gary stopped, tensing up. The air felt electric and artificial. Kassam and Shannon looked around, trying to find any signs of immediate danger, but couldn’t find any.

Then, as fast as they had arrived, Henrik and Gary turned around and started to walk back towards the direction they had come from, without even looking back at the other group. They seemed to be in a hurry.

“Hey! Wait up!” Bobby shouted and the group hurried after Henrik and Gary through the woods. But all too soon, they lost the sight of their friends.

“But.. They were just there.. Where did they go?” MC complained, finding it hard to believe how quickly they had lost them. 

“Ugh.. Well, no reason to cry over spilled milk.. Let’s just try to catch that animal..” Lucas shook his head and the group continued what they were doing, although constantly moving along. 

The sun was dangerously low in the sky, and the wind was starting to pick up. MC swore she could hear a wolf howling somewhere deep in the forest.. At least she hoped it was only a wolf. Tired and full of new information, the group decided that they should start finding a good place to sleep, although all of them were extremely worried about the upcoming night. 

“I wish we could’ve found them before having to set camp..” MC sighed sadly, staring off into the distance for one last time. That’s when she spotted it. A group of people, just standing there amongst the trees, speaking in quiet voices.

“Look.. Is that Henrik’s long golden hair? Is that Hope’s high bun? Oh, I remember Chelsea wearing that outfit!” Lottie gawked, barely containing her relief. 

“Guys! Guys!” Bobby screamed and began to run towards their friends. This time, they turned around and noticed them, smiling at the sighr of their missing friends.

“Oh, I’m so glad to see you’re all okay!” Gary yelled, sniffing. He ran to meet Lottie in the middle and engulfed her into a tight hug. Lottie pressed herself against Gary’s toned body, taking in his scent and squeezing his shirt.

“MC! MC! MC!” Chelsea cheered while jumping up and down, before taking a misstep on her hurt ankle, “Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!” She yelped and held her ankle while still jumping on one leg. 

“Kassam! Good to see you!” Carl smiled and walked up to Kassam, eyeing the bucked his was holding curiously, “What do you have in there?” 

“Ashes.. We’ll tell you all about it soon..” Kassam replied quietly and Carl nodded. Graham also walked up to Kassam and patted him on the back rather powerfully.

“Glad to see you’re not hurt, cabin boy!” Graham left out a loud bark. 

“Lucas! My friend! Where did you get a violin from?” Henrik questioned as he hugged Lucas warmly.

“Bobby! Dude! How are you?” Rocco greeted Bobby with a smile, giving him a quick bro-hug.

After a warm and happy reunion, both groups told what they had found out and experienced during the time they were apart.

“Well, I ran after Priya but I lost her. I didn’t know I was being followed, so I decided to just wait under this ash tree until someone would find me or I come up with a plan, but turns out this was a very special ash tree.. Her name is Askafroa, and she is the guardian of the ash tree. Well, I made a deal with her. I went to get her water, and then I found out the others had followed me so we continued together. We brought here water and she told us what Priya and Ulrike have been up to. She told us that Ulrike is making Priya a potion that quickens the turning process and we only have three more days to figure it out. Well, she also told us that she can help us but we have to bring her some rather specific ingredients first; blood mixed with ashes, human bones tied into the shape of a rune called Algiz and lastly, Näcken’s ring. We apparently have to convince Näcken to give up his ring, and Askafroa produced us this violin in order to do so, but we were nearly attacked so she didn’t have the time to tell us the whole story how to convince Näcken.. She just told us to find out the story of the star-crossed lovers of _Tystsjö_..” MC caught up the bigger group with their findings. 

“Woah, you’ve found out a lot! Our adventure hasn’t been quite as dramatic, but we still may have found something important relating to Askafroa’s ingredients.. Well, we came across this viking burial ground.. It was cool at first, but then I rested my palm against one of the stones and it burnt this rune, Othila, on my skin,” Henrik showed his palm, where the sign was still visible, “And afterwards we.. We heard your voices, and even saw Lucas, but then he just disappeared once we followed him.” Henrik explained and Lottie gasped at the last part.

“The same happened to us just before! We saw you and Gary, but you didn’t acknowledge us and just hurried off without a word! And your energies really seemed off, too..” Lottie told him and Henrik just nodded his head understandingly.

“I think what we both experienced might have been _vardyger_ ,” He replied and held the same monologue about _vardyger_ as he had done before, “They are interesting phenomenons but not dangerous themselves.. Just a tad confusing!” He laughed.

MC looked at Gary and Lottie. Gary had her arm around Lottie’s shoulder and they both looked so blissfully happy to be reunited once again. Then she remembered what she had seen on the spring’s reflection, wondering whether she should bring it up to Gary. He looked as Gary pecked Lottie’s forehead gently and how relaxed they seemed.. She just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Maybe tomorrow she could warn them.. 

“Well, we already found a safe place to set camp! We’re under the starry sky, but it’s well-hidden. Follow me!” Hope smiled and led the way to a little clearing surrounded with many thick trees and bushes. It was almost impossible to see inside the clearing because of the trees and bushes, so it was safer than any other area the group had seen during the day. The bigger group had already set camp and a fire in the middle and started to eat, so the smaller group joined them and got ready to go to sleep. Kassam decided that empty mason jars were a better place to store the ashes, so he poured the ashes into the mason jars as cleanly as he could. The islanders talked about the night shifts, and went to rest.

~*~

[Priya] 

Priya, sitting on one of the tree branches, watched joyfully as her friends reunited. She had found the bigger group a while before, and followed their operation with setting up the camp and fire at the safe clearing. She leaned against the tree trunk and saw as one by one the former islanders drifted to sleep while Hope and Marisol were the first ones to stay up and guard. 

Inside her, a storm was brewing. An emotional storm. At the same time she was happy to see then reunited and safe, but at the same time she felt bitter. They had shared nice words, hugs and touches to each other as they reunited; would Priya be able to share something so intimate and real with anyone ever again? Or will all of those emotions be switched to lust and loneliness? 

She also felt conflicted, because she had overheard MC telling about Askafroa’s intentions to help them and also about Ulrike’s secret mission to make her turning process faster. She really didn’t know what she wanted; did she want to live forever with Ulrike and have these amazing powers and possibilities, or did she want to return to her old life and grow old with her friends? She also felt a little suspicious about Askafroa’s real intentions.. Why was she helping her friends? What did she want to gain? She doubted Askafroa would do anything for free.

Priya also feared that she was too long gone to live normally again after this. Every day she stays further away from humanity, from feeling like a human, from remembering the limitations of humanity. But what if this was the only way to cleanse yourself from the sins of humanity, a some sort of purgatory? Maybe this really was a catharsis of the human condition. 

And what if her transformation was reversed and she was turned back into a human? Would she be able to adjust back to that life after experiencing what life could be with heightened senses, super strength and healing powers? There’s so much good she could do for the world with powers like these. But she could also do so much evil. Her full-fledged Huldra instincts would force her to hurt people, especially men, and seduce many unwilling souls. Everything she’d attempt, everything she’d love, would eventually crumble away. She’d outlive all of her friends and family, until she’d feel too afraid to love again.

Priya couldn’t shake the feeling that she deserved an explanation from someone after everything she had heard. So she silently dropped down from the tree and made her way to an all-familiar clearing. It was silent and motionless, cold without the sun in the sky. Still, she was determined to figure out what Askafroa was really after. 

“Askafroa.. Are you here?” She asked quietly as she made her way towards her tree. Nothing happened - no answers, no movements, no sudden faces on the tree. Could she change her tree? Or was she just hiding from her? Clearing her throat, Priya raised her voice a little more, “Askafroa! I need you here.” 

An owl hooted somewhere in she shadows. The wind picked up, picking up some leaves off the ground, making them dance around Priya. A firefly flew past Priya’s face, taking refuge in the ash tree. And then, a familiar face appeared on the bark of the tree, looking back at Priya with a gentle smile.

“I do apologize, I was elsewhere.. Now. What brings you here?” Askafroa inquired, her branches slowly turning into hands and feet, and the leaves transforming into long hair. 

“I need to know.. What are your real intention with me? With my friends?” Priya glared at Askafroa, unsure whether she can actually trust her or not.

“What do you know?” Askafroa asked calmly although a hint of worry was detectable hidden in her velvety tone.

“I heard MC tell the others about the fact that you had made a deal with her.. You’ve spoken about me, about Ulrike, and offered to help MC and the squad to find a way to reverse my transformation! Why didn’t you tell me you had a way to reverse it? Why did you tell my secrets to them? Why haven’t you told me about Ulrike’s plan? What are your real intentions? I just don’t know if I can trust you anymore, you’ve really hurt my feelings and trust now..” Priya rambled, letting all of her inner thoughts and burning questions out. Askafroa looked thoughtful for a moment, as if she was trying to remember all of the questions in the correct order.

“I didn’t tell you because gathering the ingredients is very difficult, especially alone. The whole process is dangerous and.. Probably illegal,” Askafroa looked to the sides suspiciously, “I told them because we made a deal; MC asked for information and I asked for them to refrain from hurting my trees. I helped them because I saw how worried they were about you. I didn’t tell you about Ulrike’s plan because I wanted you to make an unbiased choice when the time comes.. And my real intentions? To solve this whole mess, obviously. To let you make your own choices. To show the humans that the line between good and bad is not always so clear..” Askafroa smiled mysteriously.

“Are you sure that those are your real intentions? Or are you just saying that to get me off your back?” Priya frowned, rolling her eyes. Askafroa hesitated, staring off into the distance.

“I may have some of my own interests in mind, too, but.. Your choice will hugely impact the whole forest, too. So I want you to have a fair choice. If I didn’t do this, you wouldn’t have any other choices but to choose Ulrike. I’m giving you a chance to choose a way out if that is what you desire. And if you want to stay, you still can. You know, the plants and animals really like you. They’d really miss you if you leave.. But they also understand that you can’t grow in a wrong soil..” Askafroa smiled, a hint of sadness in her eyes. Priya didn’t understand what was making Askafroa so blue, but she did feel empathy towards her.

“Can’t grow in a wrong soil..? But I’m not a plant? What do you mean?” Priya questioned, wondering why everyone always has to speak with metaphors. 

“No, you’re not.. But just like plants, humans need to surround themselves with the right people and the right opportunities to truly feel alive, to succeed, to reach the highest potential.. If a human spends too much time with the wrong people in the wrong place, they’ll wither away, just like plants..” Askafroa portrayed, pointing at two flowers in the shadow of a tree. One of them was dead, one of them in full bloom, “One of those flowers required a lot on sunlight to survive. But it grew under a tree where it couldn’t get enough sunlight and withered away. This other flower likes it shady, and is flourishing under the tree. Humans are much like that. Humans have a better chance at adapting, at learning to live in the wrong soil, but in the end.. The price is enormous. Those wrong people will suck out all of your happiness, until you’re nothing but an empty shell..” 

“You kinda sound like you speak from experience there..” Priya chuckled curiously, raising her left eyebrow while smiling mysteriously. All of the emotion disappeared from Askafroa’s face and tone as she composed herself.

“When you’ve outlived so many generations and seen so many people being born, crying, laughing, falling in love, marrying, having kids, falling out of love, crying some more and dying, you really learn things from them..” Askafroa said, her voice emotionless and cool. 

“Oh.. Sorry.. I guess that makes sense.” Priya sighed and laid down on the ground, gazing at the stars, “But what is the right soil for me? How can I know?” She asked, her voice trembling as she reached for the stars above.

“You will know it when the moment comes.. And at that moment, you’ll be facing the hardest decision you’ve had to make so far. You may need to choose between your happiness and what is right.. Or between your happiness and your nature..” Askafroa replied ominously, her words hanging in the air as Priya was praying for a shooting star to pass by, to make that last choice even a little bit easier for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Maybe this really was a catharsis of the human condition." Roll the credits! :-D This chapter had some lessons to learn again, which I really enjoy writing about. Askafroa's lesson about the wrong soil.. It applies to all of you! I truly hope you can surround yourself with the right people and in the right place. If not right now, then in the future. Don't let the wrong people suck all of your happiness and hope away, okay?


	12. Hour of the Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is finally reunited, but the night does not pass without problems.

[The big group]

MC opened her eyes, darkness having engulfed everything in her vision. She reached out to her right, where Bobby was supposed to be lying and felt around, but only found the cold ground. She sat up, wondering where Bobby had gone. 

Weird.. It seemed darker than before.. MC pulled her rucksack closer, zipped it open and took out a flashlight. She attempted to turn on the flashlight, but it refused to cooperate at first. Frustrated, she hit it a few times with her hand until it was in a working condition. Looking around with the help of the light, she noticed that everyone was gone. Even the warm fire had gone out. 

Why had everyone abandoned her? Was she just a scapegoat for her friends; maybe she was a burden without realizing it. No, something bad must have happened to her friends. They would never leave her like this, without a word, without a trace. MC stood up, looking around for any clues of what might have happened. 

Pointing her flashlight to all the different directions, the bright light was only being overpowered by the looming shadows of the trees. Nature remained silent and the air still. MC felt her throat tightening with fear as it almost felt like everything around her had died. All of a sudden, she heard a sound of rustling behind her. Whipping around, she pointed at the origin of the sound with the flashlight. 

It was a lone deer. The deer looked MC deep into the eyes, its dark eyes endless and wicked. It wasn’t afraid of the light; no, it didn’t hide from the human. It stood there, proud and fearless, as if it had nothing to lose at all. The deer didn’t blink, its eyes boring into MC’s soul as the air was getting more and more repressing.

Staring at each other, MC felt herself becoming more enchanted by the deer’s beauty. But as she tried to take a step closer to the deer, it opened its mouth and spoke. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” It asked with a voice full of familiarity but also built-up anger and bitterness. MC tried to understand who was speaking, but every time she was close to remembering, it slipped from her mind again.

“We could’ve prevented it.” The voice spoke again, and the deer shook its grand head disapprovingly. 

“What are you talking about?” MC finally managed to speak, her voice shaky. 

“It’s all your fault.. You knew it was going to happen.” The deer spoke again, moving its front leg with agitation. 

“What’s my fault?” MC asked, although she had a creeping fear about what was going to happen next.

“You knew but never told us. And now it’s too late.” The deer glared at MC, at the same time so full of anger and emptiness. 

MC tried to answer, but the heavy pressure on her chest and throat made her impossible. Gasping for air, she felt around her throat; nothing.

“Look what became of him..” The deer called ominously and finally MC knew whose voice it had obtained; the deer sounded exactly like Lottie. 

Before MC could even register what Lottie the deer had said, she heard something fall to the ground from the sky. It sounded large and heavy and the ground shook as it landed. MC turned around and noticed a severed hand on the ground by her feet. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. She was completely silenced by the growing pressure. 

And there were more; more and more of severed hands were raining from the sky, landing all around MC. Wherever she tried to look, there was a bloody hand; some of the hands were still moving its fingers eerily, attempting to walk. MC backed away, horrified and in shock, but was pushed back in by a pair of strong antlers. 

MC stumbled and fell to the ground on her stomach, making a splashing sound as she landed on a puddle of blood. The blood felt cool against her burning skin. Tears started to roll down MC’s cheeks as she tried to get up, but kept slipping from all of the crimson blood. MC cranked her head to look at the sky only to meet multiple pairs of dark eyes looking back at her. 

She sat up, looking from side to side. She was surrounded by deer, each one of them looking more decayed and decomposed than the other. And all of them spoke to her in different yet familiar voices. 

“You’re putting all of us in danger..” A deer with Lucas’ voice spoke up. 

“Do you even care?” Bobby the deer scuffed.

“You never noticed how broken I became after the deaths of our friends..” Deer version of Marisol sighed and shook its head. 

“You didn’t stay to make sure I was safe..” Chelsea’s voice lacked any warmth and compassion. 

MC wanted to scream for the deer to back off, but couldn’t make a sound. The pressure around her neck was making her weaker and fainter, most of her oxygen now gone. MC laid down in the bloody puddle, looking at the starry sky above her. That’s all she could do. And the stars, they were bleeding. 

One of the severed hands wiggled closer to MC, finding its was to MC’s throat. As the hand pressed down, MC didn’t really feel anything; she was already suffocating. But emotionally, it made all the difference. She deserved this. 

As her vision was getting a dark, a light entered the existence. The light overtook the dark, and made the pressure disappear out of the blue. MC sat back up again, looking around herself in awe. The clearing had turned into a blooming meadow, where the deer were scattered around to eat the grass. They were all healthy and gentle, no longer decaying and menacing. Flowers had replaced all of the bloody, severed hands, and the puddles of blood were now just morning dew. The day was dawning, and the birds were greeting the new morning with their joyful songs. 

And then the light made its way to MC and landed on her shoulder. It was warm and comforting, like a cup of hot cocoa in a plushy sweater. MC smiled at the light and tried to touch it, but her hand passed through it. The light didn’t burn her skin, and its pleasant warmth reached MC’s entire body and being, promising that she would never have to be cold again.

“Am I in heaven? Did I die?” MC could finally speak, no more pressure or pain to be felt. The light giggled, taking flight from MC’s shoulder and hovering in front of her eyes. 

“No, silly. You are dreaming. You were having a bad dream, so I came to assure you that it is going to be alright!” The light had a calming voice, silky and smooth to listen. 

“Who are you? What are you?” MC questioned the light, knowing that she has heard this voice before. 

“That is not important. At least not now. If you keep asking the wrong questions, you’ll get the wrong answers!” The light sang, dancing around MC.

“But what are the right questions? I’m lost..” MC sighed, following the light with her gaze. 

“That is why I am here. I am here to guide you, to guard you and to help you find the answers you need! No need to feel lost and afraid anymore, MC!” The light reassured, going from one flower to another like a butterfly. 

The longer MC looked at the light, the more it did resemble a butterfly. 

“Will you be guiding me in the waking world, too?” MC asked, not wanting the light’s calming presence to leave her side. She needed her amidst her fears and anxiety.

“I am watching over you, but we can only interact in the world of dreams. You won’t feel me in the waking world, at least not for now. But I am there. No matter where you go, no matter if you have lost all hope, I will not leave you..” The light promised, warming MC’s heart from inside out. 

“Who are you?” MC repeated her earlier question even though the light had said earlier that it’s not relevant. She wanted, no, she needed to know who was speaking to her!

“MC.. It is time for you to wake up soon..” The light informed MC, and a sudden surge of dread ran through MC’s body.

“What if I don’t want to wake up? I’d rather stay here with you..” MC crumbled, her level of anxiety growing. The light flew up to MC and landed on her palm, taking away all of the worries and anxieties immediately. MC scanned the light, wanting to remember everything about it when she woke up. 

It truly did look like a butterfly. 

“We will meet again. Do not be anxious. They need you in the waking world, but I am always watching over you.” The light spoke so softly, with a breath of every spring and with the sound of a harp. 

“Will you be waiting for me?” MC asked quietly, her voice getting stuck to her throat. It was harder and harder to do anything in the dream; that must be a sign of the body waking up.

“Always,” the light promised and took off from MC’s palm, hovering in front of her again like an old friend, “MC, always remember… I… am…” 

“MC! It’s our time to guard!” Bobby shook MC awake gently, whispering loudly into her ear. MC opened her eyes, disappointed that she couldn’t hear the end of the light’s sentence. She stood up stretching and saw that the Casa Amor boys were heading back to their sleeping bags. They must have been the last bunch to guard before them this time.

It was 3.30 am once Bobby’s and MC’s guard duty began. It was in the heart of the _vargtimmen_ , hour of the wolf as it is known in Sweden, similar to the Witching hour and the Devil's hour. The hour of the wolf is considered to be the time between night and dawn, where people are at their weakest and ghosts and demons at their strongest. It’s the moment when a lot of people die and nightmares can run free. It was not a pleasant time to look over the sleeping group.

MC sat on Bobby’s lap as Bobby petted her soft hair and occasionally whispered sweet nothings in to her ear. MC told Bobby about the nightmare she had seen, and how she was saved by this butterfly made out of pure light. 

“Weird.. Deer and severed arms? Do you think that it’s related to the fact that we were hunting for animals earlier?” Bobby asked out loud and MC shrugged. 

“All of the deer had different voices.. The first one to speak sounded like Lottie.. One of them sounded like you, one like Lucas, one like Marisol and one like Chelsea.. I felt so horrible..” MC sighed, slowly shaking her head while staring at the fire in front of them. 

“It was only a dream.. None of us are holding anything against you..” Bobby comforted MC and gave soft and tender kisses to her forehead, nose and cheeks with an adorable smile on his face, “You’re doing your best, sweetheart..” 

“I’m trying.. But at times I feel like I’m not really doing enough..” MC frowned and adjusted the firewood with a long stick. Small sparks flew out of the bonfire. 

“All of us feel helpless right now.. But you’ve already done so much by discovering a way to help Priya reverse the spell. And last time you saved me from marrying that monster, and shot down that chandelier.. You’re a hero, MC.” Bobby chuckled and refused to stop kissing her.

MC couldn’t help but giggle, Bobby’s soft kisses tickling her face and neck, “I love you, Bobby..” She sighed happily, leaning against her fiancé, “You always know how to make me feel like the most important person in the world..” 

“That’s because you are that to me!” Bobby grinned and held MC close. MC turned around on Bobby’s lap to face him with a playful smirk on her face.

“I like the view this way better..” MC whispered seductively, cocking her eyebrows.

“You do?” Bobby gulped, looking MC up and down, heat rising to his cheeks.

“Yes..” MC nodded and wrapped her arms around Bobby's neck, looking at him with a smirk.

“You’re my best view..” Bobby let his embarrassed facade crack with a chuckle. He knew the best was yet to come.

MC pulled a silly face before replying, “Meh..!” and softly play-slapping Bobby’s cheek. Both of them laughed silently at their little inside joke, while leaning in closer and closer, until Bobby’s eyes went wide, “What?” MC whispered silently, scared of looking behind her.

Bobby was tense as she held MC tight, and didn’t let out a sound, instead followed something intently, “Are you messing with me?” MC asked, but Bobby shushed her quietly. 

“Down!” He suddenly hissed and pinned MC against the ground, while looking up with a worried expression.

“Oh.. Bobby, not here..” MC scolded Bobby playfully, but Bobby didn’t laugh or even slip a smile, fear shining in his amber eyes. 

“He’s here.. Stay quiet..” Bobby said as silently as he possibly could, his voice trembling slightly. 

“Who’s here?” MC asked, fear starting to kick in within her as well. Her instincts told her to either fight or flee, but Bobby’s arms pinning her down were strong and sure.

“Draugr..” Bobby whispered. MC’s blood ran cold as she imagined the undead viking in front of her eyes. 

The couple stayed quiet for what felt like an eternity. They hoped the dreadful warrior would just leave eventually, but Bobby noted that he seemed to be looking for something.. It kept staring at the ground and looking behind branches and bushes, occasionally hitting some of them with his battle axe.. Which worst of all was completely solid and corporeal. Holding their breaths, they wondered whether they should alert the others or stay put. They both decided that it was safer to not make a sound.

“Hey.. What’s going on?” A voice asked from the dark and a figure sat up from the middle of the former islanders, “What are you two doing at the ground? Getting busy, eh? The masculine voice laughed. MC knew this voice. It was Gary.

Oh no.. 

A bloodcurdling war cry could be heard and the Draugr finally spotted the sleeping former islanders. MC and Bobby couldn’t help themselves as they shot up from the ground and began screaming loudly for the others to wake up.

“Guys! Wake up! We’re under attack!” MC screamed on top of her lungs as she grabbed her rucksack and began sprinting away with Bobby.

“Wake up everyone or you’re going to die!” Bobby yelled as MC dragged him away. He didn’t even have the time to take his rucksack with him. 

Luckily their screaming was enough to wake up the group, and they all took off, some of them with their rucksacks and some of them having them abandoned at the camp. The first one to catch up with Bobby and MC was Henrik, who had his rucksack with him.

“Friends! Let’s go to the bunker to hide it out! I remember the way! Follow me!” Henrik shouted as loudly as he could to the group and ran fast and confidently. 

“No no no..!” Chelsea screamed as her ankle was still in a bad condition. Ibrahim, being one of the strongest and the most athletic of the group, picked her up in bridal style and carried her, not leaving her behind. 

“The last one’s to run were Gary and Lottie, who were holding each other by the arm. Gary was still nearly half-asleep, while Lottie was screaming her lungs out. 

They had ran to the bunker in the minimum time possible, and Henrik opened the hatch, “Everyone! In!” He kept the door open as the islanders quickly sprinted towards safety. He planned to stay up there waiting till everyone had made it in.

The group was alerted by a loud call for help and looked back, horrified by what they saw. The Draugr had caught Gary by the arm, and was trying to drag him away. Lottie wouldn’t let go, but held onto Gary’s other arm, trying to pull him to safety. With Lottie’s strength, it seemed like sooner than later the Draugr would drag them both away if Lottie didn’t let go. Quickly, most of the other islanders joined Lottie in pulling Gary by the arm.

MC saw it happening before anyone else. She had seen this all before. Gary screamed louder than he ever had, his face contorting with unbearable pain and agony, but the former islanders were adamant to not let him go. Pulling Gary like rope, they we’re all grunting and sweating like crazy against the spirit of a viking. 

“Oh no, oh no, it’s happening, oh no..!” MC stressed out, holding her head in her hands as she was shaking. She couldn’t join the others with that. She knew what would happen. 

“MC! Don't be lazy! Help us out!” Hope yelled to MC as she was pulling Gary with the others.

“Please stop.. Please!” MC shook her head violently, eyes prickling with tears.

“We won’t give up on Gary! You’re a traitor MC!” Lottie yelled angrily and gave MC a shady look. 

“You don’t understand, I should’ve warn--” MC tried to explain herself, but was cut off by the most horrifying sound she had ever heard. 

“AAAAAAAAGHHH!!!” Gary shouted in absolute agony as his left arm was ripped apart from his body. The former islanders nearly fell back as Gary lunged against them with full force, no one quite understanding what had happened at first.

“Everyone! In the bunker right now!” Carl shouted, recovering first. Most of the islanders ran in immediately, but few stayed behind. Lottie held Gary, screaming at the sight in front of her. Draugr was holding Gary’s severed arm in his hands with a confused expression, and Gary was bleeding excessively. 

“Lottie! Help Gary go down! He needs medical attention right NOW!” Lucas commanded and ran up to the shocked Lottie and helped her to carry Gary. They both went into the bunker, tears rolling down Lottie’s cheeks and Gary nearly unconscious from the pain.

Henrik was the last one to close the bunker door, just as the Draugr dropped Gary’s arm and tried to attack him. 

Inside the bunker, MC sat in the corner, holding her head in her hands, muttering to herself. Her eyes were wide and face pale, feeling absolutely guilty that she hadn’t warned Gary and Lottie earlier about the vision.. She didn’t know it would come true so soon, or better said, at all.. This is all her fault.. This could have been prevented..

Lucas laid Gary on the floor quickly and opened his rucksack, getting medical supplies ready. Marisol and Shannon assisted him with the job.

“Wait!” Bobby suddenly shouted, “Gary, can we gather your blood for the ritual?” He quickly asked. Gary, barely awake, only managed to nod. Bobby quickly put a mason jar under Gary’s bleeding arm. He let the blood flow for a little while before Lucas started the first aid.

Lottie was crying loudly, facing away from the sight. Her clothes had Gary’s blood on them, and she was a complete mess. 

“That’s the first thing in your mind, Bobby? Fuck you all!” Lottie screamed with fury at Bobby’s request, but didn’t even look at the other islanders. 

“This will help us to get Priya back!” Bobby defended himself as he closed the lid of the mason jar. 

“But is it worth Gary bleeding to death?!” Lottie turned around, her eyes red, puffy and gleaming with resentment, “If he dies, I’ll blame all of you! I’ll blame Priya! I’ll blame Ulrike, and I’m going to get my revenge on ALL OF YOU!” She screamed her lungs out, nearly psychotic. Marisol and Kassam walked up to her to calm her down and offer her shoulders to cry on and ears to vent for. 

Bobby put the fresh blood into MC’s rucksack as he had left his own bag back at the camp when he finally noticed the distress MC was in. He walked up to MC and knelt down next to her, touching her shaking hands gently.

“Lass.. I know that was scary and shocking, but we’re safe now..” He spoke quietly, barely hiding his own shakiness. 

“I-It’s m-my.. fault..” MC whispered, her voice panicked. She couldn’t even look up to Bobby, or anyone else for that matter. 

“What is your fault?” Bobby questioned calmly, trying to calm his own beating heart.

“I.. I k-knew this was g-going to h-happen.. B-But I.. I didn’t w-warn them.. I d-didn’t warn G-Gary..” MC stuttered, teary and in shock. 

“No one could’ve predicted this..” Bobby tried to reassure MC, but it was all in vain.

“B-But I s-saw this.. Back at the p-pond… I s-saw this v-vision and n-now it c-came true..!” MC cried out, engulfing Bobby into a tight hug. Bobby nearly fell on her, but barely kept his stance.

“What? You saw.. This?” Bobby whispered, dumbfounded. 

“W-Well, I didn’t know i-it’s going to be Draugr, but I.. I s-saw h-him in p-pain.. And his a-arm nearly r-ripping off..” MC sniffed, fearing that everyone was going to hate her now. Bobby remained silent for a moment, but never let go of her.

“No one could’ve known the visions could actually come true.. It’s okay.. Shhh shh shhh..” Bobby comforted MC and ran his hand through her hair calmingly.

“I-I could’ve prevented it.. N-now h-he might d-die because of m-me..” MC hiccuped, her cheeks stained with tears and her body growing weary from all of the stress it was under.

As Lucas, Shannon and Marisol were finishing batching Gary up having had stopped the bleeding and secured and sterilized the wound with the best of their abilities and as Bobby was comforting MC, Kassam started to look around the bunker more carefully than before.

“Why.. Why does the bunker look like this again?” He pointed out. The rest of the islanders turned around to see what Kassam had meant by that and to their horror they realized, that the bunker was in the same disrepair as it had been when they first came here.

“But.. It was in a perfect condition when we left the last time.. And now..” Marisol breathed out, hardly believing her eyes.

~*~

[Priya]

Priya couldn’t sleep, so she was taking a walk around the forest, patrolling and making sure everything was alright. However, one time she walked past the area where her friends were supposed to keep camp, the area was deserted. Only the fire, sleeping bags and some rucksacks remained.

“What happened here?” Priya gasped, feeling her stomach drop. With heavy steps, she began to run to the direction she could smell her friends from, worried that she was already too late. A million thoughts buzzed in her head - why did they leave the camp? Were they attacked? Who attacked them? Oh, please don’t say it’s too late now!

Priya ran and ran, nearly stumbling now because she couldn’t concentrate on anything but the safety and well-being of her friends. Priya could hear her heartbeat in her ears as she got closer and closer to the origin of the scent. 

Then she saw something absolutely horrifying lying on the ground, lying on a bloody puddle. It was a hand. A severed arm. Priya picked the hand up with shaking hands, examining it and trying to figure out whose arm it was. She smelled the arm and knew immediately, gasping out a name 

“Gary..! This is Gary’s arm..” Priya shook his head wildly, not wanting to believe it at all. Was Gary alright? Well, clearly not.. A better question to ask was whether Gary was alive at all at this point.. There was so much blood on the ground..

Priya decided to keep a hold onto the arm and store it, so it didn’t end up as animal food or going bad. Maybe.. Maybe if she stored it, it could be reattached.. Or at least Gary and the others would know that his arm is safe and sound.. 

Priya began to run back to the headquarters. She really had to keep this hidden from Ulrike, God knows what she would do and say.. Priya moved stealthily in the velvety night, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Arriving at the house, she took a long breath and concentrated on her senses and powers.

Good.. It seems like Ulrike was resting. Silently, she tiptoed through the desolate corridors, having a room in mind where to hide the arm. Once she arrived in the room, she closed the door silently behind her and walked up to some drawers.

She quickly cleaned the arm with a bowl of water and dried it with a rag. She took out a pair of old shirts and wrapped the arm up, making sure that no skin or blood could peek through. She then proceeded to hide the arm among the clothes in the drawer, hiding it as well as he could. She needed to find a better and cooler place to store it soon, but for now this had to do.

”This is my fault.. They came to look for me, and now Gary is hurt or possibly dead..” Priya spoke to herself sorrowfully. She walked in circles within the room, wondering how she could ever make things right. 

She had made a decision. She had to protect her friends from further danger. She couldn’t keep worrying about her troubles and decisions, but had to make sure her friends would get out alive, keep the creatures of the forest in check and make sure her friends leave as soon as possible. Askafroa herself had said that the answers would come to her at the right moment, so she should stop worrying about the future and concentrate on the present moment. 

Priya’s thoughts were cut short when she heard something small fall to the ground. She turned around and saw something glimmering on the ground by the windowsill. She knelt down, picking up the shiny objects into her hands. It was Lottie’s rose necklace that she had won at Casa Amor. Priya stood up straight and looked at the small necklace in her hands, examining it delicately. It still wasn’t her style, but it holds so many dear and fun memories with her girls. A sad smile found its way on Priya’s face and she had to hold back tears when she remembered the days when everything were so different. 

“Lottie.. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect Gary..” Priya sighed deeply and closed her fist around the rose necklace, holding it close to her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor, poor Gary! Do you reckon he's going to make it? I had actually planned for something like this to happen in Midsummer Week's Nightmare (the prequel) but did not have the hears to do so back then..


	13. Tragedy of The Silent Lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group finds out the backstory of the Tystsjö's tragedy and go exploring the viking burial ground, angering some spirits along the way.

[The big group]

Gary was sleeping on the bunker floor, while no one else could even close their eyes from all of the stress and anxiety after the attack. Gary needed sleep, so they let him rest and take it easy. Lottie had covered him with some of her clothes as a blanket and put her rucksack under his head as some sort of pillow. He looked so peaceful one could nearly forget that he is missing his left arm. 

“Let’s just stay here until the morning, when hopefully the Draugr is gone..” Henrik whispered loudly to the others, who nodded in agreement. 

Hope rested against the wall, yawning with tired eyes. Chelsea played gloomily with the broken pieces of the chair. Rocco, Lucas and Ibrahim discussed what had happened earlier, and the Casa Amor boys were lifting the knocked over bed and fallen bookcase. Shannon slowly hummed a tune to herself, staring blankly ahead. 

Bobby was mixing Gary’s blood with the ashes. It still needed a little bit of blood to the perfect mixture, but only a small amount. Gary’s bleeding had done most of the job. MC quietly discussed her nightmares with Lottie, and they figured that this time their dreams had also had some connections; Lottie had dreamt that she was a deer, running away from a lone wolf until she was attacked by it and ripped apart. 

Marisol was going through the books that were thrown on the floor, picking them up one by one and putting them back on the bookshelf. One book had seemed to have caught her attention however, as she curiously kept looking through the pages. Out of blue, her eyes widened noticeably and she walked up to Henrik, whispering something into his ear. Henrik took the book from Marisol and started reading the page Marisol had pointed him to, brows furrowed.

By now, everyone awake had turned to stare at Henrik and Marisol inquisitively. Henrik read the page at least twice, taking his time in understanding each and every word. Before long, he cleared his throat and showed off the page to the group. There was a hand-drawn picture of a simplistic, golden band and the headline: ‘ _Tragedi av Tystsjö_ ’

MC gasped loudly. That was the story Askafroa had recommended they would check out in order to figure how to convince Näcken to hand over his ring. MC stared at the book and the picture in awe, feeling just a little bit closer to solving this mystery.

“Please read it for us, Henrik..” Lucas encouraged his friend. Henrik’s face was unreadable as he inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times before beginning to read the story.

“In the early 1830s, the bodies of two young lovers were found deep within the deep waters of lake _Tystsjö_. The man was identified as 23-year-old farmhand Mikael Claesson and the woman as 20-year-old merchant’s daughter Dorotea Emilsdotter. It is still unknown how these two lovebirds met their demise, but the local villagers believed that they committed double-suicide after Dorotea’s father had told her about his plans to marry her off to a rich older man. However, I dare to disagree with the villagers..” Henrik started, and MC could imagine it all happening right in front of her. 

~*~

[Flashback to 1830s]

To be in love is wonderful, but to have it deemed forbidden and having to keep it secret from the world was a tough burden to bear. But as long as Mikael had Dorotea by his side, everything felt possible. They had carried on their secret relationship for months now, and Mikael had been saving up his money to buy her beloved a ring and a small house. The house would be barely nothing compared to where Dorotea was currently living in, but as long as they had each other, they wouldn’t have to worry about where they lived, what they wore and what they ate.

They only got the chance to meet up twice in the month; only then Dorotea would be able to sneak out of her fancy house and Mikael could afford to lose precious sleep. Those times were at every new and full moon, and they always met up during those times, no matter the weather, illness or visitors. Every time they met up, they would share their biggest mutual interest - music. Mikael was a skillful violinist, the best on the area, and Dorotea loved to sing and dance along to his violin. They were the perfect combination, both filled with optimism, creativity and love for movement. 

Mikael could have never believed that such a gorgeous and well-off woman like Dorotea would take interest in a poor farmhand like him. And whereas their relationship was carefree and joyous, it was also intimate. It was considered wrong in the eyes of God to share a bed with the opposite sex before marriage, but Mikael and Dorotea had been so much in love that they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves for wrong. It felt so good, so perfect, so right - deliciously sinful. Especially out in the open, where anyone could catch them. Luckily to them, they had the perfect place to meet up.

Their meeting place was a large lake next to a dense forest. The moon and the sun would reflect against the dark waters and the waves would join their musical performances; it was the perfect place for them. Magical, mystical and melodic. And that is where Mikael was waiting for his beloved today, on the new moon of June. The night was light, such as they always were during the summer, and a ring was burning in Mikael’s back pocket. 

And there she arrived, ethereal and as gorgeous as ever in her white dress. No flower could compare to her, although Mikael did always gift her the most beautiful flowers she could find during the summer months. This time, he had picked up asters for her. He offered the flowers to her, and Dorotea took them gratefully, bowing for him. Dorotea had the gentlest, purest soul that Mikael had even encountered. He was so lucky.

And as always, Mikael would play his violin and they would sing the song they wrote together while Dorotea dances by the water. 

Kalla sjöar eller höga berger  
Kan inte ta dig bort från mig  
Enorma fältet eller djupa dalar  
Jag kommer tillbaka varje gång  
Varje gång älskar jag dig mer

This first verse and the first chorus was written by Mikael to Dorotea. Playing and singing it and seeing Dorotea’s sparkling eyes and fluid movements always made Mikael’s heart flutter.

Min älskling, sjunga med mig  
Dans under det silver månen   
Du är mitt allt, mitt världen   
Jag vill gör dig lycklig  
Vi är en, samma själ och hjärta  
Du är min, mitt andetag är ditt  
Jag är din, till döden skiljer oss åt   
Kom med mig, till döden skiljer oss åt

Nothing could ever compare to how Dorotea made Mikael feel; complete, loved, more than his birth rights. From the first moment Mikael had laid his eyes on her, he had thought that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But Dorotea’s father Emil didn’t even know him, although he had been seeing Dorotea for so long now. Mikael had once seen him in the village; a scary-looking fat man with fancy clothes. He really was from such a different world.. But he had worked hard to earn enough to impress Dorotea’s father.

Mina känslor är äkta och raka  
Ta min hand och aldrig släppa lös  
Vem är jag utan ditt skratt?  
Så stanna här till solen stiger  
Innan solen stiger du är min

The next verse and chorus were written and sung by Dorotea to Mikael. Listening to her angelic voice always reminded Mikael of how lucky he truly was to have met his soulmate.

Min älskling, dansa med mig   
Sjung under lysande stjärnor   
Du är mitt allt, mitt öde och dom  
Jag vill smek dig mjukt  
Vi är en, delad hjärtslag och sinne  
Du är min, mitt kroppen är ditt  
Jag är din, även om bara i hemlighet  
Älska mig, även om bara i hemlighet 

But this night, something seemed off. Maybe it was just caused by Mikael’s nervousness about popping the question? Maybe Mikael had eaten something bad today? Maybe he was catching an illness? But something in the air felt different than before. But right now, Mikael didn’t want to think about it, he only wanted to focus on playing his darling fiddle and spending every minute and second possible with his one true love.

Jag håller om dig till morgonen gryr  
Jag håller om dig till tid slutar   
Håll om mig även om det är fel  
Håll om mig även om det gör ont 

They sang together the bridge of the song, and that’s why it was always Mikael’s favorite part of it. Hearing their voices blend so well together, added with the beautiful sound of his fiddle, created the perfect mixture. That’s how he knew they were meant to be together till the day they died. Mikael couldn’t wait to start a family with Dorotea and prove their love to the world against all the odds.

But before they could finish the song off by their joint chorus, Dorotea bursted out crying desperately, stopping dancing and hugging her body tightly. Mikael stopped playing his violin immediately and walked up to Dorotea, worried for her well-being. Why was she crying? Was she hurting? Who or what had hurt her? Mikael didn’t understand, but the thought of someone hurting his angel drove him mad.

“What’s wrong, _älskling_?” Mikael asked and wiped Dorotea’s tears away gently, but they just kept on coming. Dorotea was shaking, remaining silent, “You can tell me everything, you know that, right?” Mikael continued, caressing Dorotea’s moist cheeks. 

Instead of answering, Dorotea began to walk towards a spit, avoiding Mikael’s eye contact. She just stood there, staring at the calm waters while taking long breaths. Mikael walked behind her, touching her shoulder gently. Dorotea tensed up, but didn’t pry herself free. After a moment of silence, she spoke up.

“We can’t keep meeting up like this anymore..” She said in a quiet voice, trembling. Mikael felt the ground beneath him crumbling.

“Why not? Do you not love me anymore?” Mikael asked, fearing to hear any type on answer from his darling. 

“I do.. I’ll always do,” Dorotea smiled sadly to herself, “But.. It’s not right.” She sighed, clearly avoiding something.

“Let’s make it right! Let’s come clean! They’ll see how much we care for each other and then they’ll have no other choice but to accept our love!” Mikael promised desperately, trying to figure out the core of the problem they were now encountering.

“No.. We can never do that.. Not anymore..” Dorotea’s lip trembled as she took in a long breath, “My father wants me to marry someone else..” She finally admitted, turning to look at Mikael. Mikael’s face fell as he was trying to find the answers from Dorotea's face.

“W-What? To who?” Mikael asked silently, grabbing Dorotea by both of her shoulders, harder than he had meant to. Fear was now taking place in Dorotea’s eyes. 

“To Lars Runarsson..” Dorotea sighed, shaking her head sadly. Mikael tensed up. He had heard that name before.. 

“Wait! You mean that 35-year-old rich bastard?! He’s way too old for you! And he’s rude and disgusting!” Mikael shouted, finding it hard to believe. He had heard the stories about Lars Runarsson, and they were unpleasant to say the least. He was rude to his servants, had no manners and touched young ladies inappropriately. 

“I know.. But I can’t refuse my father, you know that..” Dorotea bit her lip nervously and gazed into Mikael’s eyes, “This is it, _rara_.. I’ve never been as happy with anyone as I was with you, and I am forever thankful. You’ll always have a place in my heart, and maybe in another life we would have made it work.. I’ll never forget you, _rara_..” Dorotea’s eyes filled with tears as she stepped away from Mikael. Mikael stared back at her, his mouth agape.

“No.. This can’t be happening, no.. I can’t lose you! I have no other reason to live but you!” Mikael bellowed and quickly went on one knee, taking out the ring he had saved so much money for, “I’ve saved enough money to buy you a ring and I’ll soon have enough saved up for a house! Then we can marry, start a family and grow old together! I’ll do anything, please don’t leave me!” He presented the ring to Dorotea, trying to change her mind.

“Mikael.. You know I’d love nothing more, but.. I just can’t.. I’m so sorry..” Dorotea sniffed and pushed the wedding ring away. Then she realized that the best way to make Mikael realize what she had meant, she needed to sing it to him. Just like they always did. She decided to let the music speak.

Min älskling, vi sjungit och dansat   
Tittade på himmelska höjder   
Du var mitt allt men inget varar för evigt   
Jag måste lämna dig ifred   
Vi var en, men nu är vi två  
Allt är sagt och gjort   
Vår känslor var inte nog  
Aldrig nog, människans kärlek

She finished her new chorus of their song, gazing at Mikael with great sorrow in her eyes. Her own heart was breaking, but she had to be strong. For her, for Mikael, for her family.

Mikael slowly stood up, putting the ring back into his pocket. For a moment Dorotea thought that he was taking it better than expected, until she saw the darkness in his eyes. All the warmth and hope had abandoned his being, instead now all that looked back at Dorotea was bitterness and unkempt anger. 

“How dare you?! I gave you everything, I loved you more than anyone ever will! Let’s just run away, to another village, to the capital - hell, let’s go to another country, leave everything behind! Why aren’t you listening to me?!” Mikael yelled, shaking Dorotea by her shoulders roughly. Tears started to fall from Dorotea’s cheeks again and she couldn’t stop trembling.

“M-Mikael.. Please stop.. Y-You’re scaring me..” Dorotea begged, her voice small and shaky. She had never seen this side of Mikael before, and she didn’t like it one bit. He had always been so good and gentle with her, she couldn’t believe that he would scream at her like this.

“You’ve broken my heart! I bought a ring for you! I’ve done everything to be a good man for you, but you still reject me for some rich asshole!” Mikael continued, riled up. 

“N-No, I’m not r-rejecting you.. N-never.. Y-you’re my one and only, b-but.. I have no c-choice..” Dorotea stuttered, gasping for air. Suddenly Mikael stopped shaking her and Dorotea could finally take a breath, thinking that her words had gone through, “I-I always knew you w-would understand, I--” she started but was cut off when Mikael pushed her hard. 

Dorotea fell backwards, towards the deep lake behind her. Before she could even scream, she fell down and went under. Gulping water, she got back up to the surface, but was cold and panicking.

“M-Mikael! Help! I c-can’t swim, you k-know that!” She yelled as loud as she could, but her voice was barely louder than a whisper after having swallowed so much water, “T-This is not f-funny anymore, h-help me, _rara_!” 

But Mikael didn’t listen. Without even glancing at Dorotea, he walked back to his violin that was lying on the ground and picked it back up, his eyes oozing with emptiness and coldness. He started to play their song, ignoring the calls of help and sounds of splashing completely.

Not long after, the sounds stopped as Dorotea went under and never came back up again. Now it was only the empty night and Mikael’s fiddle. Sighing, he looked back at the spot where she had drowned. Now, his world was empty. Meaningless. His light had gone out. But at least no one else could have her now. 

He kept playing his violin for hours, until the wee hours of morning. He had even come up with a new verse, just like Dorotea had done, and he kept singing it over and over again.

Min älskling, sjunga och dans i paradiset  
Jag ska följa dig inom kort   
Du är ändå mitt kärlek och mitt livet   
Jag kan inte släppa dig lös  
Vi ska bli en igen, i evighet  
Förlåta mig, mitt kära skatt   
Du vill inte bli ensam där  
Aldrig ensam när jag kommer hem

Before the dawn, Mikael woke up from his trance. Realizing what he had just done, he bursted out crying and screaming out her beloved’s name over and over again. Only his echo against the surface of the water answered him. He walked up to the edge of the spit, still holding his precious violin, and plummeted himself into the cooling water.

He closed his eyes, and let himself sink to the bottom of the lake. Soon, they would be reunited again.

And that’s how the lake had gone quiet. No more violin playing on it’s beaches, or singing and dancing of an innocent maiden. Thus its name, _Tystsjö._

~*~

[The big group]

“And that’s how the lake had gone quiet. No more violin playing on it’s beaches, or singing and dancing of an innocent maiden. Thus its name, _Tystsjö. Tystsjö_ means ‘silent lake’ in Swedish.” Henrik finished the story

“Oh wow.. That’s so sad, babe..” Chelsea sniffed, rubbing her blue eyes from both sleepiness and sorrow.

“But how is this related to Näcken? Did he steal the ring from Mikael’s dead body?” Rocco questioned in a confused manner.

“No..” MC muttered and wanted to continue, but Lottie got there first.

“Näcken IS Mikael..” Lottie sighed thoughtfully and frowned.

“What?! How?” Bobby gasped, furrowing his thick eyebrows.

“It’s not that complicated.. Ulrike used to be human too, so maybe Näcken could have also been!” MC replied, thinking that connection had been as clear as day.

“But Ulrike was probably turned like she turned Priya, no one turned Näcken!” Hope argued.

“Guys…” Henrik called out, but nobody listened to him. Clearing his throat, he yelled, “Guys!” That finally worked, and everyone turned to look at him, “There’s more..” He told the group ominously.

“Tell us..” Kassam begged Henrik. Henrik nodded and continued the story.

“Some people believe that Mikael’s restless spirit turned into Näcken and that he is still to this day looking for Dorotea, unable to find her. He charms people, mostly young women, with his enchanting violin playing and singing, lures them into the water and drowns them in an attempt to make see if they are his bride. It is also believed that you can convince Näcken to give away his ring if you act out his story but give it a happy ending. No person has lived to tell the story, however, and no one knows what happens if you do manage to get the ring..” Henrik looked at the page in a deep concentration.

“Giving his story a happy ending, huh?” Ibrahim muttered thoughtfully, scratching his stubble.

“So that’s why Askafroa gave us a violin..” Shannon realized, “But how do we recreate the scene and change the ending?” She wondered, biting the inside of her cheek.

“Hmmh.. Someone has to act as Mikael and someone has to act as Dorotea..” Marisol pointed out, “Maybe we can have them run away together? Or Mikael accepting the situation? Or help by a third party member?” She suggested some ideas. 

“Oh.. I may have an idea! Leave it to me. So Lucas, I’ll need you as Mikael since you can play violin, and..” Henrik looked around at the girls thoughtfully, “MC, would you mind acting as Dorotea? You don’t have to do that much!” Henrik smiled earnestly at MC.

“Sure..” MC agreed and Lucas’ eyes lit up, “..As long as Bobby is alright with it.” MC added quickly and turned to look at Bobby.

“Of course..” Bobby nodded and smiled a tad tensely back at MC.

“Okay, great! I’ll tell you the plan, follow me..” Henrik winked and walked the two further away from the group to a desolate corner of the bunker so no one else could hear them.

“Why does Henrik want to keep the plan as secret?” Carl sighed, shaking his head. 

“It’s show business.. Surprises add to value!” Graham answered with a grin.

…

A few hours had passed, and the morning has finally broken, easing the hearts of the former islanders. Gary was still sleeping, and the group didn’t have any intention to wake him. They checked up on him every once in a while, making sure he was still breathing and alive. Lottie sat next to him for the entire time, holding his intact hand and petting his hair gently.

“Okay, I think it’s safe enough for us to leave by now.” Lucas broke the silence, standing up from the floor. 

“Where will we be going?” Hope asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise. 

“And Gary is still resting! We can’t leave him alone..” Lottie protested, squeezing Gary’s hand on her lap. 

“We still need to find Askafroa’s ingredients, remember?” Lucas sighed, glancing sadly at Gary’s stubby arm, “So don’t freak out as I say this, but.. I think we need to go to the viking burial ground you guys found..”

“Are you crazy?! That’s probably where Draugr is resting! Uh-uh, I’m not going there after what happened last night!” Rocco yelled, shaking his head violently. 

“Where else are you planning to get human bones from?” Lucas growled, glaring at Rocco for making such ruckus. 

“Do we really have to go there?” Chelsea whined, not particularly excited about Lucas’ plan.

“Lucas, you do know that vikings burnt their corpses right?” Henrik asked from Lucas, whose face went a little pale at the comment, “But it is still possible there’s some bones left, right? I mean, we don't have any other plans..” He added with a careful smile.

“If we can’t find bones in there, we may have to go the island with the church.. But it’ll be a dangerous choice, too, with Näcken going rogue..” Marisol suggested, remembering the graveyard their group had found last time.

“And not to mention digging up those graves is probably considered illegal..” Carl frowned deeply. 

“And digging up a historical and one-of-a-kind site is not?” Shannon asked, counter-arguing Carl’s thesis. 

“No one knows it even exists apart from us!” Kassam cut through. 

“Calm down, everybody!” Lucas shouted, effectively silencing the entire group, “The viking burial ground is closer, so let’s go there first.. If we can’t find any surviving bones, we’ll have to resort finding a way to go on that island. We’re going against time here. We don’t have the time to keep on arguing about things we don’t have control over..” He sighed.

“Lucas is right. We need to work together to survive and to help Priya. We’re doing all of this for her.” MC backed Lucas up, looking pleadingly at the group members.

“Yeah, let’s just try and get along.. If we don’t even try finding the ingredients, Gary lost his arm for nothing..” Bobby reminded the group. Most of them nodded, their faces softening up.

“Okay, so I suggest that two of us stay behind to watch over Gary in case someone tries to come here or he wakes up and tries to find us.” Lucas proposed and looked at each of the former islanders one at a time, “Shannon and Rahim, do you mind staying? Shannon did wonderfully helping me with first-aid and Rahim has a lot of strength.” 

“Me? But.. I’m not very brave..” Ibrahim sighed, shaking his head.

“Most likely you’re more safe here than on the outside!” Graham reminded Ibrahim. He thought about Graham’s words and slowly nodded.

“Okay, fine with me. Plus, Gary is my good friend. I’d hate to let him down!” Ibrahim finally broke out into a wide smile. Shannon looked at him and then at Gary in deep thought.

“Sure, I’ll stay here with Rahim. I’ll inform Gary about what is going on when he wakes up.” Shannon smiled confidently, staring to prepare some first-aid items close-by. 

“Great!” Lucas smiled at the two and was about to continue, when Lottie cleared her throat.

“Excuse me? Shouldn’t I be staying too as Gary is by boyfriend?” She frowned, still holding Gary’s hand. Lucas went speechless, not sure what to answer.

“But Lottie, we might be needing your extrasensory abilities and knowledge on magick when we go to the burial ground.. You know the best out of us how to deal with the dead respectively and if the energies go off!” MC helped out Lucas, smiling gently at Lottie. 

Lottie couldn’t help but smile at MC’s words, feeling that she was an important addition to the group, “I see.. Yeah, I’ll come with you! You would be in dire danger if I didn’t tag along!” Lottie grinned proudly and Lucas let out a small sigh of relief, mouthing a silent ‘thank you’ to MC.

“Okay, so everyone knows what they’re doing? So let’s start to prep for leaving.” Lucas smiled and walked up to Shannon and Ibrahim to give them some tips and orders. The islanders that had their rucksacks with them prepared them and started to prepare themselves mentally for the new day ahead.

…

Saying their goodbyes to Shannon, Ibrahim and Gary, the group took off, Henrik leading it. They only had to take a few steps outside of the bunker when they noticed their first mystery of the day; Where had Gary’s severed arm disappeared to? Sighing, they came to a conclusion that a wild animal must have snatched it up during the night and that there was nothing they could do about it.

Along the way they also retrieved the missing rucksacks, feeling lucky that they had not been destroyed or scavenged by any wild animals or monsters. All of the group members felt nervous, so the walk to the burial ground was rather silent and tense. 

As they arrived on the burial ground, Lottie stopped the group and began to explain to them about certain rules and tips on working with the other side.

“First off, remember to be respectful at all times. Ask them whether it’s alright to obtain the bones, and back off if you get an uneasy feeling. Never mock the dead, and always tell what your intentions are and what you are doing. Pray or ask for only good spirits of love and light to come through. Leaving some tokens or gifts is a good way to please the spirits. Thank them after you’re done. Digging up bones for magickal purposes is mostly used for curses and necromancy, and I am not the most familiar with that type of magick, but let’s just try to hold onto pure thoughts and intentions..” Lottie spoke quietly, a hint of anxiety visible with her voice.

“What will happen if we anger the spirits?” Rocco inquired, clearly worried.

“They may curse or haunt us.. We may encounter misfortunes,” Lottie shrugged, “I don’t want to think about it too much.. But there are cleansing rituals we could so if something goes wrong!” Lottie attempted to smile, but it looked fake.

“So, do we just start digging, or..?” Graham questioned, eyeing the gravestones carefully. 

“Let’s join hands first and I’ll recite this ritual prayer!” Lottie quickly said and held out her hands. The former islanders shrugged and joined hands, forming a circle. Lottie closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and began to recite this strange prayer, while the others concentrated on her words and pure thoughts.

Afterwards the group started to dig. A few of the islanders had mini floral shovels that helped the task a little, though it was a hard job to dig so deep with such a shovel. 

“How many bones do we need? I have found one!” Carl let out an important question.

“I checked the rune last night and we need three bones; one bigger and two smaller!” Henrik replied back, and the group returned to their little digging job. 

It took longer than they had anticipated, but finally they had found three suitable bones for Askafroa’s request. They tied them up into the shape of Algiz, and carefully hid it in Lucas’ rucksack. They left the graves they had been digging some flowers and spare coins, not having much else they could give. Finding some British pounds from a Swedish viking site would probably confuse the future archaeologists and historians..

As they were leaving the burial ground in a hurry, MC swore she could’ve heard some quiet whispering in an unknown language all around her, but blamed it on barely getting any sleep the previous night.

_‘Flár..’, Deyja..’, ‘Vekja upp, foringi..’, ‘Gjalda..’, ‘Leifa..’_

~*~

[Priya]

Priya had found her friends digging up and hanging out at the viking burial ground, at first thinking they had gone absolutely insane to return there after what happened with Gary, but once Carl presented the first bone finding, she understood what they had been after.

She still decided to watch over them in case something bad would happen. It was touching to see them working so hard for her sake, but it also greatly saddened her and made the decision even more difficult for her..

Priya stood there in the shadows until her friends had found enough bones and were starting to leave the general vicinity, making sure they can leave without any further complications. Just as her friends were walking away, she could hear some voices talking.

“Traitorous..” A voice scorned and a red ball of light rose up from the ground, trying to take shape into a human man but failing.

“Die..” Another angry voice called out as another light ball, this time green, appeared.

Wake up, leader!” A voice begged and a yellow light showed itself.

“Atone.. Repay..” A blue bright sphere bellowed, hovering in the air.

“Leave!” The frustrated orange glowing ball yelled after Priya’s friends. 

It seemed to Priya like none of them heard or reacted to the sounds to her luck. It appeared like the veil between humans and spirits was thicker than between Huldras and spirits..

Priya made sure that all of her friends got away and were far enough before she ran in front of the glowing balls of light, blocking their way with a determined expression.

“Misters! Calm down! This is my order as the maiden of the forest!” Priya commanded in a serious tone. The balls of light stopped moving and Priya could feel multiple pairs of eyes on her.

“Oh, you’re the new girl.. Did something happen to Ulrike?” The yellow ball questioned in surprise. 

“No, no, she just turned me.. She’s still weak though, so I’m mostly guarding the forest now.” Priya explained.

“Hmph.. But why should we listen to you? We’re older than Ulrike, even older than her predecessor.. We’re ancient! Who do you think you are to block us from getting our revenge?” The red ball of light demanded to know. Priya fell silent for a moment, thinking. Priya hadn’t talked much about ghosts and spirits, but she’s quite certain even those are under their rule..

“Because.. If you do something brutal, the balance of nature will tip. And you know what happens after, yes? Ground won’t be as fruitful, the weather will be unbalanced and animals will suffer!” Priya explained to the viking spirits. 

“Well, how does that mean anything to us? We’re dead! We won’t suffer. We’ve seen it all, believe me!” The green light ball sighed loudly.

“Why would you dishonor the earth? You used to bow down to the powers of nature, live by the earth and honor every living being when you were alive. And what has come out of you now? What would your ancestors and lineage think?” Priya scowled. 

“Boohoo, too bad, so sad, just move out of the way so justice can be served for those thieves!” The blue ball of light yelled sarcastically.

“If you lay a finger on those humans. I’ll have to banish you. You’ll disappear forever. You won’t get to stay here. You’ll spend the rest of eternity in an eternal darkness and despair, all alone, knowing you’ve dishonors your lineage!” Priya threatened the ghost vikings, jabbing her finger at them.

The undead vikings backed off, worried by the threats.

“You’re even worse dictator than Ulrike! One day we’ll raise up, and let every human know our might!” The orange ball hissed, slowly beginning to descend back to the ground.

“Yes! And then the world will know the power of Arne, Skarde, Magnus, Knud and Trygve!” The five lights let out a mighty roar at the same time.

“Yeah, yeah, but that day is not today. Go back to sleep. This is an order.” Priya glared at the lights until all of them disappeared from sigh and the forest fell quiet once again.

Priya let out a long sigh as she turned away from the gravestones. At the same time she felt accomplished and powerful, but at the same time, frustrated and wondering if her life was going to be like this forever if she decided to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Mikael's and Dorotea's song (the Swedish lyrics and translation both written by me):
> 
> Cold lakes or high mountains  
> Can’t take you away from me  
> Enormous fields or deep valleys  
> I come back every time   
> Every time I love you more
> 
> My love, sing with me   
> Dance under the silver moon  
> You are my everything, my world  
> I want to make you happy  
> We are one, same soul and heart  
> You are mine, my breath is yours  
> I am yours, till death do us part  
> Come with me, till death do us part
> 
> My feelings are real and genuine  
> Take my hand and never let go  
> Who am I without your laughter?  
> So stay here till the sun rises  
> Before the sunrise you are mine
> 
> My love, dance with me  
> Sing under the shining stars  
> You are my everything, my fate and my doom  
> I want to embrace you tight  
> We are one, shared heartbeat and mind  
> You are mine, my body is yours  
> I am yours, even if only in secret  
> Love me, even if only in secret
> 
> I hold on to you until the morning breaks  
> I hold on to you until the time ends  
> Hold on to me even if it’s wrong  
> Hold on to me even if it hurts
> 
> My love, we sang and danced  
> Looked at heavenly heights  
> You were my everything but nothing lasts forever  
> I must let you free  
> We were one, but now we are two  
> Everything is said and done  
> Our feelings were not enough  
> Never enough, human’s love
> 
> My love, sing and dance in paradise  
> I will follow you soon enough  
> You are still my love and my life  
> I cannot let you go  
> We will be one again, in eternity  
> Forgive me, my dear treasure  
> You will not be alone there  
> Never alone when I come home
> 
> ^ Writing this was hard because Swedish is my third language and I _never_ write lyrics or poems in Swedish (although it's a very beautiful language!) .. I didn't even attempt to make anything rhyme or genuine with this because of my limited language skills.
> 
> Ps. I love that sassy blue ball of light xD


	14. Long Live Love!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The former islanders encounter one of their biggest challenges so far; to convince Näcken to give up his ring. Will they succeed and gather all of Askafroa's ingredients in time?

[The big group]

Returning shortly to the bunker, the group went to pick up the violin given to them by Askafroa, checking up on Gary, Shannon and Ibrahim and making sure everything was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and Gary had actually woken up, feeling a little weak and pained but otherwise managing. Ibrahim and Shannon had attempted to clean up the bunker as well, but the bloody and muddy hand prints were there to stay.

After a short break where the group ate and drank, they decided that it was the time to stop stalling. The longer they stayed put, the larger their next mission began to seem like. Soon, it would feel absolutely impossible, and if that happened, they would be doomed to fail.

Henrik went through the plan with MC and Lucas once more, making sure everyone knew their place and role. Lucas was anxiously tuning the violin as the group stood on the edge of the forest, staring at the lake opening up in front of them. Here, nearly 200 years ago, a tragedy took place. Knowing the story made the place feel so much more haunting. They could nearly imagine Mikael playing his fiddle and Dorotea singing and dancing along to their secret midnight song. 

But this was no time to get lost within history. To break the curse - both Priya’s and possibly even Näcken’s - they needed to change how history has been written. So many men and women have gone under attempting to please Näcken. Were they about to become the newest victims or would they be the one’s to get through Näcken’s cold heart - to reach Mikael, that small hidden part of Näcken that only yearned to be forgiven and a chance to reunite with his beloved. 

The rest of the islanders stayed further away, weapons in their hands, ready to attack Näcken if all else failed, although they weren’t sure how much their weapons would do against the monster. Lucas glanced at MC standing next to him, taking a long breath. MC looked back at Bobby for one last time, who nodded with a worried expression. MC closed her eyes for a moment, focusing, before taking Lucas’ hand and walking towards the lake.

The two were humming, MC taking some dance steps along the way, acting as joyfully as they could. Lucas pulled on some of the violin’s strings to attract Näcken’s interest. Before long, they felt like they were being watched from the depths of the silent lake.

Lucas led MC close to the edge of the water before letting go, giving her an encouraging nod before taking his place. 

“Oh Dorotea, you’re looking so beautiful tonight..” Lucas spoke up, finding it weird to call MC with that name, but it really couldn’t be helped. 

“Thank you, Mikael. I’ve missed you..” MC smiled back at Lucas, nodding her head. Lucas cleared his throat and offered MC a small bouquet of flowers. MC gasped, feigning surprise, "Oh? Are these for me? Thank you once again, Mikael, you’re always so thoughtful!” MC bowed down to Lucas.

“Anything for you, darling, anything at all..” Lucas smiled softly back at MC, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. He knew they were both just acting, but her words and smile still made his heart melt. If they don’t succeed, well, at least he’ll die a happy man after this scene.

“Oh Mikael, play for me, won’t you?” MC begged Lucas and glanced at him from under her long eyelashes. Lucas gulped, enchanted by MC’s beauty and tone of voice. What kind of other things he’d love to hear her beg for.. Quickly shaking his head, he got back into business.

“Yes, darling. I’ll keep playing for you until we’re old and sick.” Lucas promised with a smooth voice before taking the violinist stance. It brought back memories of his school years.. Taking a long breath, he started to play a Swedish folk song he remembered learning before.

Lucas couldn't tear his eyes away as MC started dancing in front of him. No wonder Mikael and Dorotea loved meeting up like this.. He could imagine the moonlight against the dark waters, the peaceful melody of the wind, and just the two of them without looming danger close-by.. It seemed perfect.

Lucas could swear a splashing sound coming from the water and with his peripheral vision he thought he saw a dark figure sitting on one of the stones protruding out of the lake. But right now, he couldn’t let fear take place. He needed to concentrate on playing the violin to the best of his abilities - they all knew how skillful Näcken was with his violin, so he couldn’t afford to make mistakes.

MC hummed softly along the melody as she did not know the words, but tried to look like she was truly enjoying the moment without any worries or restrictions. It was actually rather interesting to see Lucas playing so close-by, concentrated and peaceful. He surely wasn’t a bad violinist - MC would pay to hear him play again. 

As the song faded away, tears started to form in MC’s eyes as part of the acting. Silent sobs could be heard by the time Lucas put the violin down. MC walked to the same spit Mikael and Dorotea had once before stood on, looking at the lake. She spotted Näcken sitting on one of the stones, but didn’t react. If she screamed now, it would all be over.

“What’s wrong, darling?” Lucas asked and laid his hand gently on MC’s shoulder. MC was quiet for a long moment, staring at the open lake. Taking a long breath, she turned around.

“We can’t be together anymore.. I’m sorry..” MC whispered loudly, caressing Lucas’ cheek softly once before trying to pull away. Lucas pushed MC back in by her waist, taking her hand into his and staring down at her with intense gaze. MC could feel her cheeks heating up from the close proximity and Lucas’ dark, lingering eyes.

“What do you mean? You’re the only thing I want in my life..” Lucas replied dramatically, not letting MC go. MC stood there, avoiding Lucas’ eyes.

“My father wants me to marry someone else.. He’s rich, successful and from a good family.. I don’t want to marry him. He's not a good man like you, but.. My father is adamant. And you know how much my father means to me..” MC explained with teary eyes. Lucas wished he could’ve just embraced her and wiped away those tears, but he needed to keep up the role of Mikael.

“Darling, you.. You’re my greatest love.. I don’t want to let you go!” Lucas insisted desperately, his hands shaking slightly. 

“But I have to.. We all knew making our relationship work would be hard, seeing that you’re a poor farmhand and I am a rich merchant’s daughter, but in the end we just couldn’t make it.. I can only hope that one day the world is a place where everyone can marry the person they love, not looking at their wealth and status..” MC sighed, giving a soft peck on Lucas’ trembling hand. Lucas felt like his heart was about to explode from the touch of her soft lips.

“Why can’t we just run away to a place where no one knows us?! They wouldn’t judge us and our love there! I promise I’ll take care of you!” Lucas shouted, gritting his teeth with a painful expression on his face. MC truly did feel bad for him even though they were only acting. 

“I could never leave my father behind like that.. He needs me..” MC frowned, “And I’m sure you would be a wonderful husband.. Maybe you’ll be that for some lucky lady one day. But that lucky lady is not me. Please, if you love me, let me go..” 

“But I don’t want anyone else! I only want. I only need you!” Lucas bellowed, heartbroken.

“Mikael, my love.. I’m forever thankful for all of your love and the wonderful times we shared.. Nothing can take the memories away from us,” MC sighed and looked into Lucas’ eyes with serene adoration, her eyes sparkling, “But it is time for us to go separate ways. I want you to be happy. To find someone who can love you better than I did. And I’m sure you’ll find that person one day. I’ll keep praying for you. Now, I must hurry off, the sun is starting to rise.. And like I used to sing; before sunrise you were mine..” MC smiled cheekily at Lucas and pressed a short, tender kiss on his lips before walking off.

If Näcken would’ve attacked him right now, Lucas wouldn't have minded! Henrik hadn’t mentioned anything about MC needing to kiss him, but she did! Lucas felt like the luckiest man to be alive, feeling the touch MC had left behind tingle his lips euphorically. He kept telling himself it was just for the dramatic purposes, but he still felt like a lottery winner of thirty million pounds.

Lucas watched as MC walked away solemnly, before remembering that he had to continue acting. 

“Oh darling.. Why did you leave me?” Lucas sighed deeply, staring at the ground with a heartbroken expression, “But because I love you more than anything.. I just had to let you go. That was the best thing I could do for you..” Lucas walked back up to the place he had dropped his violin, feigning surprise when it was gone. 

“Oh no, what happened to my darling fiddle?” He gasped, looking around wildly, before spotting another man a little farther away, holding his violin. Lucas walked up to him, acting like he was mad. 

“Hey! Cut me some slack! I just got my heart broken and now all I have left is this violin! Give it back to me!” Lucas yelled at the blonde man. Henrik looked up to him, grinning nonchalantly. 

“I see.. Well, I think I know a song that may cheer you up, man. Listen closely.” Henrik smiled mysteriously before taking the violinist stance as well. Some of the islanders looking at the scene gasped, having had no idea that Henrik could play, too! What were the odds? 

_Varför sörjer du, Fernando? (Why are you grieving, Fernando?)  
Varför klingar din gitarr i moll, vad är det som står på? (Why does your guitar play in minor, what has happened?)  
Är det kärleken, Fernando? (Is it love, Fernando?)  
Har hon lämnat dej, din stora, stora kärlek, är det så? (Has she left you, your great, big love, is that so?)  
Den som älskat och förlorat (Those who have loved and lost)  
Vet att sånt kan ändå hända då och då (Know that such can happen from time to time)_

Henrik played the violin and sang angelically, staring directly at Lucas with his green and compassionate eyes. He had a sad smile on his face, the warm summer breeze running through his blonde locks gracefully. He was pretty much as good with violin as Lucas was, although he somehow looked more relaxed and like heeded to focus less on the playing.

_Sorgen kan va tung att bära (Sorrow can be hard to bear)  
Men att vänner sviker är nånting man måste lära sej (But friend’s betrayal is something we must learn)  
Jag har också mist min kära (I have also lost my beloved)  
Vem är du som tror att detta kunde drabba bara dej? (Who are you to think that it could only happen to you)  
Har du några glada sångar kvar (Have you got any happy songs left)  
Så spela, spela, spela dom för mej (So play, play, play them for me)_

Henrik sung his heart out, hitting even the highest notes well. His voice was as clear as a bell and easy to listen to. He was so good at presenting emotions in his voice, it almost sounded like he was singing from experience. Lucas stole a careful glance at the direction of Näcken. He still seemed peaceful, listening to the words Henrik was singing, although Lucas couldn’t in reality understand what Henrik was singing. He still understood the deep sorrow of the violin and Henrik’s tone, knowing that he had to keep up the heartbroken expression for a bit longer.

_Länge, länge leve kärleken (Long, long live love)  
Vår bästa vän, Fernando (Our best friend, Fernando)  
Fyll ditt glas och höj en skål för den (Raise your glass and propose a toast)  
För kärleken, Fernando (For love, Fernando)  
Spela, spela melodien och sjung (Play, play the melody and sing)  
Sången om lyckan (Songs of happiness)  
Länge, länge leve kärleken (Long, long live love)  
Den kärleken, Fernando (To love, Fernando)  
Länge, länge leve kärleken  
Den kärleken, Fernando_

The violin played more joyous notes, picking up in speed just a little. Lucas felt his leg drumming slightly, feeling the melody in his bones. Henrik’s sad smile had turned into a more happy one, encouraging Mikael to move on with his broken heart, that there is more to life, that life does not end once love ends. Music carries one through the good times and the bad, and friends are something you can rely on during the darker times. 

_Ska vi skåla för dom andra (Should we toast for the others)  
Som fick evig kärlek och den tro som bor i varje sång? (Who got eternal love and faith that exists in every song?)  
Eller skåla med varandra (Or toast between each other)  
Vill du dricka för den lycka som jag upplevde en gång? (Will you drink for the happiness I once experienced?)  
Det är lika sant som sagt (It’s true what they say)  
Den vackra sagan den blir aldrig, aldrig lång (That beautiful fairytale never, never last long)_

The tone of the song became more melancholic yet again with the third verse, a certain longing in every note even though Lucas was still in the dark as what Henrik was singing. Henrik looked off into the distance, a hollowing look in his eyes, as if reminiscing something long forgotten. The gentle waves of the lake next to them licking the sand of the beach added to the soul-numbing yearning. 

_Länge, länge leve kärleken  
Vår bästa vän, Fernando  
Fyll ditt glas och höj en skål för den  
För kärleken, Fernando  
Spela, spela melodien och sjung  
Sången om lyckan  
Länge, länge leve kärleken  
Den kärleken, Fernando  
Länge, länge leve kärleken  
Den kärleken, Fernando_

The melody picked up again, and Lucas couldn’t help but take some singular dance steps to the rhythm. Henrik grinned at Lucas, his green eyes sparkling with hope and wonder. The sun shined on them, Henrik’s golden hair gleaming under the warm and bright light. He truly did look like an angel of some sort. A Nordic angel. If he was a girl, Lucas probably would have adored him, if he was being very honest with himself. 

_Länge, länge leve kärleken  
Vår bästa vän, Fernando  
Länge, länge leve kärleken  
Vår bästa vän, Fernando_

As the song ended, Henrik quickly put down the violin and rushed in to hug Lucas tightly, whispering words of comfort and compassion into his ears. Their tender little moment was only stopped when the two men heard the sound of applause from behind it and steps being taken out of water.

“Bravo, bravo..” The Näcken spoke, his voice deep as the ocean and rather monotone. He clapped his hands slowly, walking up to the pair, “Thank you for the wonderful show, gentlemen!” He grinned, his yellow teeth of full display. 

Lucas and Henrik were speechless and paralyzed, by both fear and disgust. It wasn’t every day you saw a monster like that. Henrik recovered first, quickly speaking up.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Claesson!” He bowed down to Näcken, his heart beating fast. He hit Lucas discreetly on the side of his thigh, signaling him to show some respect too. Lucas quickly bowed down too, but kept his eyes on the movement of Näcken.

The other former islanders were holding their breaths as Näcken walked closer and closer to the two men, wondering what would happen next. They were ready to attack at any second..

“Well, all I’ve gotta say is..” Näcken began, but let his sentence hang in the air for an ominously long time with a wicked grin plastered on his face, “.. Is that if I would have had a friend after my heartbreak, I probably would’ve made it.. But I was all alone. Abandoned by my family, without friends, working long days.” Näcken explained, his scary exterior cracking for a moment.

“I’m sorry.. To hear that..” Lucas gulped, speaking from his heart without really thinking. Näcken looked somewhere behind the two men curiously. Lucas turned to see where he was looking and saw him staring at MC.

“Can you ask that lady to join us?” Näcken asked Lucas. Lucas was petrified, scared that MC was going to be in danger, but nodded.

“MC! Come over here!” Lucas shouted at her. He saw Bobby grabbing MC’s arm and giving her a worried glance, but MC shook herself free and joined Lucas and Henrik.

Näcken stared MC up and down for a while, furrowing his eyes in a thoughtful trance. He began to circle her slowly, making MC feel rather awkward and scared, but she stubbornly stayed put, “Hm.. You have Dorotea’s eyes.. My Dorotea..” Näcken sighed longingly, staring deep into MC’s eyes. Something about that gaze made her eyes fill with tears. 

“Are you okay?” Henrik whispered to MC, noticing her teary eyes. MC just nodded silently. 

“It’s clear to me that you really did love her..” MC spoke softly and silently, a part of her wanting to reach out and touch the monster in front of her, but her brain telling her that it would be a dangerous game, “I truly hope you can see her again.” 

“Me too, my child, me too..” Näcken sighed, somehow.. More human-like than before. Then he walked up to the water, knelt down and picked up something small and gleaming. Back turned to them, he stared at the object for a long moment in silence.

“Is that..?” Henrik gasped quietly. MC nodded her head.

Näcken walked back up to the trio and took MC by her hand. Näcken’s hand was cold, slimy and frail, but it didn’t phase MC. Slowly, as if in pain, Näcken placed a golden ring on MC’s open palm, not taking his eyes off of the shiny object. When he had placed the ring on MC’s palm, he forced her relaxed fingers into a fist and held them in a place for a long moment. 

“Please.. If you find her.. If you find Dorotea.. Bring this ring to her. It’s hers. It always was, and always will. If she doesn’t want it.. Well, I’ll understand. I killed her. You can just do whatever you with it. But if she wants it.. Then I’ll be the happiest man that ever roamed this earth..” Näcken laughed dryly, his eyes shining under the bright sunlight. For a moment, he almost sounded like a human, no longer as if he was constantly drowning or talking from under water. For a moment he seemed less like an evil monster, but more like a scared and lost soul. 

MC gripped the ring hard in her hand, treasuring it, “We’ll do that.. Thank you.” She assured Näcken, although she was afraid what would happen when Askafroa gets it.

“No, thank you..” Näcken slipped a genuine, gentle smile to MC. He turned briefly to face Henrik and Lucas, “Thank you, too. It was my pleasure to make business with you.” And with that, Näcken turned away and returned to the lake briefly after.

MC, Henrik and Lucas started to walk back towards their friends, receiving cheers and applause from them. MC didn’t pay any attention to them, just staring at the shiny golden ring in awe. It was so simple and so old, but somehow.. So genuine. It was filled with both love and dread. Life and death. 

“You know what this means?” Lottie questioned with a smirk on her lips, “We have all of the ingredients! Let’s go!” She cheered, visibly excited. 

“Wait.. What do you think will happen when Askafroa gets it? Näcken asked us to give this to Dorotea..” MC sighed, guilt hanging over her like a dark cloud. Even though Näcken was an awful monster who had killed hundreds of people, she still had felt a connection. She had understood him and his intentions, if even only for a few seconds. It felt bad to betray him like his.

“Who cares? We need this to save Priya! Weren’t you the most adamant to go through with his plan?” Carl rolled his eyes at MC’s comments. 

“But, but.. I guess you’re right..” MC had to give in, seeing Carl’s point of frustration. She was the one who had promised Askafroa to do this. She was the one who made the deal. She’s the one who wanted to continue even after Gary getting hurt. She can’t give up now because of a broken heart of someone who died 200 years ago. 

…

The group made their way back to the clearing with Askafroa, having all of their ingredients with them. They were both excited but also scared at the same time. What was Askafroa going to do with these ingredients? What if she betrays them? What if whatever she was going to make wasn’t strong enough to reverse the curse? What if this all had been for nothing?

They got all of the ingredients ready before they made their way to the clearing. The blood-ashes mixture was still lacking some blood, but that was solved when some of the former islanders cut their hands with a knife and added a little bit of their blood. Bobby held the mason jar with blood and ashes, Lucas had the rune made out of viking bones and MC still had the ring with her. 

Their hearts were beating fast as they walked up to the tree. Were they really making the right decision? MC cleared her throat, and soon Askafroa’s face appeared on the tree trunk. She smiled at her, and began to transform her very eyes into the more human-like form.

“You found the ingredients already?” Askafroa asked, surprised and eyes the ingredients, “Woah, you’re really something! You even managed to convince that old, stubborn mule!” She laughed loudly, her smile and eyes friendly and approachable. 

Askafroa reached for the mason jar at Bobby's hands, took it and opened the lid. Before anyone could say anything, she began to pour the mixture on her roots. The former islanders watched her, taken aback, wondering that she was doing.

One by one, her roots popped off under the ground and began to transform into actual human legs. Soon, she could move around freely and she looked so much more like a human. Then, she walked up to Lucas and snatched the rune. She made one of her narrow branches into a necklace and added the rune to it, putting it around her neck. There was a strange gleam in her eyes, and she was completely quiet.

“Hey! Can you explain to us what you’re doing?!” MC demanded to know, but Askafroa didn’t answer. She turned to face her and opened her palm, silently asking for the ring. MC stared right back at her, frowning. What did she think she was doing?! How was this going to help Priya? Was this her plan all along?!

“Don’t you trust me?” Askafroa finally spoke, staring deep into MC’s eyes, not flinching under her hard gaze. MC was furious - this was not part of their deal! She would never give Näcken’s precious ring to that lying--

Wait. 

At that moment, MC recalled Näcken’s words. 

_“You have Dorotea’s eyes.. My Dorotea..”_ Näcken had sighed longingly after examining her through and through. And right now, as MC was getting lost into Askafroa’s eyes, she realized for the first time how similar their faces were, especially their eyes..

Sure, Askafroa looked like a tree, but otherwise.. They had a lot in common. 

MC stared at Askafroa, her mouth agape. She had not even thought about this possibility! Without saying a word, she offered the ring to Askafroa, her heart fluttering.

“MC! What are you doing?!” Hope yelled, but it was too late. Askafroa smiled widely at MC before slipping the ring into her left ring finger. A flash of light blinded the friends for a moment, and as it ceased, they saw that Askafroa had turned into a human. She was no longer made of wood, but skin and blood. Somehow, she was corporeal; and quite lively, although she still had an odd undead energy to her.. 

“W-What..? What happened?” Marisol gasped, confused and startled. 

“Thank you.. Thank you all!” Askafroa’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at hands, her feet, the ring.. And at the former islanders, “I.. I’m back.. I truly am back!” She screamed joyfully, tears rolling down her cheeks. 

“Who are you?!” Rocco inquired loudly with wide eyes. 

“She looks so much like MC! Just look at her eyes!” Chelsea yelped, looking between MC and the female standing in front of them, comparing their faces.

“Similar eyes..? Wait..” Everything clicked in Lucas’ head, but Henrik beat him to the all-important question.

“Askafroa! Were you Dorotea all along?!” Henrik asked, scratching his head. Askafroa looked at him, and nodded with a smile.

“Yes.. That’s my name. I’m Dorotea Emilsdotter, the daughter of merchant Emil Svensson. When I was killed by my lover, farmhand Mikael Claesson, I was cursed to roam the earth forever as an ancient entity called Askafroa. My role was caused by my fear towards bodies of water and drowning, so they made me into a creature who requires water to live - but also lives far away from it. But you freed me, and now I can be reunited with my _rara_..” Dorotea explained, her cheeks stained with tears, but she had the happiest expression on her face.

“Aren’t you made at Mikael for killing you?” Graham questioned, furrowing his brows.

“Well, I can’t say that I didn’t die hating him, feeling betrayed and used.. But.. I’ve thought about it for nearly 200 years now and come to a conclusion that he’s already repaid his sins and debts by spending all this time as Näcken.. I guess I just love him too much to truly ever let him go!” Dorotea laughed and stared towards the direction of the lake. 

“But.. But what about our deal? How is this helping Priya’s case at all?” Kassam asked, suspicious and doubtful.

“I can only start working towards the cure with water magick.. I need to go see my _rara_..” Dorotea explained and as in trance, began to sprint towards the direction of _Tystsjö_. The former islanders quickly followed her, needing more concrete answers and kinda wanting to see the reunion of the century.

“Water magick?! What are you goin on about?!” Carl shouted at Dorotea, even after all this time finding it hard to believe in magick.

“Water and Earth as elements are complementary and dependent on each other, and Water magick is known to have many healing and anti-toxic properties! I’m sure the answer to helping Priya out lies in Water magick! Only Water magick is capable of repealing Earth magick!” Dorotea explained as she ran, her eyes full of fire and focused on one goal only.

“So will the cure be ready before tomorrow night!?” Lottie screamed, scared that they had started the project too late.

“Oh, it should be ready by sunset today! You have plenty of time to plan your infiltration!” Dorotea assured Lottie, now being able to see the lake peak through the trees.

“I hope you’re right…” Henrik sighs, and the group just keeps following Dorotea until she arrives to the lake.

“ _Rara!_ Mikael! _Rara_!” Dorotea screamed, trying to catch Näcken’s attention. At first, nothing happened. Dorotea kept staring at the water intently, her body shaking lightly. 

“ _Rara!_ It’s me! Dorotea! Please, I need you!” She continued, desperation apparent in her tone of voice.

Slowly, the lake water started to bubble and ripple, and a familiar creature appeared from it. Näcken’s eyes widened as he realized who was standing on the shore. He quickly swam closer to them, his mouth hanging open as if he had seen a ghost... Hold up! That is kinda what is happening.

“ _Älskling..?_ Dorotea?” Näcken asked carefully, swimming closer and closer, not wanting to scare her. Dorotea nodded, her eyes filled with tears.

“Yes, Mikael.. It’s me.. I’m back..” Dorotea blinked back her tears and attempted to stabilize her breathing as she was beginning to hyperventilate.

“I.. I can’t believe it, you,” Mikael walked up to the shore, looking Dorotea up and down, making sure it was her before letting out a boyish laugh, “It really is you! Dorotea, I’ve missed you so much!” He sprinted right in front of Dorotea, arms wide open.. Until he restrained himself, suddenly remembering how he had left things, uncertainty filling him.

“It’s been nearly 200 years..” Dorotea breathed, looking right into Näcken’s eyes, “And I’ve missed you so much!” Dorotea flung into Näcken’s waiting arms. He caught her, holding her close, visibly relaxing a little.

“Dorotea, I’m so so sorry.. What I did was wrong, and I didn’t think, and I don’t expect you to ever really forgive me--” Näcken began apologizing, even his eyes starting to become teary from extreme emotions.

“Dummy.. I already forgave you!” Dorotea laughed and pressed her lips against Näcken’s. MC felt disgusted thinking about kissing that slimy, moist and cold boy, but Dorotea seemed to be loving every second of it. Their kiss lasted for a long time, it was intimate and full of yearning. When they finally broke apart, they were both panting and visibly hot and bothered.

“Why would you forgive me? I’m nothing.. I’m a monster.. I’m ugly.. Just look at me..” Näcken suddenly cried out, turning around to see himself from the reflection of the lake, “There’s nothing redeeming about me.. I want you to be happy, Dorotea. Before.. I don’t know if I really wanted that. I wouldn’t have slashed out like that if I wasn’t acting out of selfish reasons.. Only now I see it. But this time,” He turned back to Dorotea, taking her hands into his, “I want you to be happy. So I won’t ask you to stay.” 

“Mikael Claesson! The only place I’ll ever be happy in is with you!” Dorotea shouted firmly, “I realized it as I was spending 200 years as an ash tree. I realized that my father, the people around me.. They were the wrong soil for me to grow in. They took everything I truly loved away. They didn’t let me sing, and dance, and have you. They expected me to be a classy, proper lady.. But I never was that. I was always a free-spirit, just like you,” She caressed Näcken’s cheek, “But they’re not here anymore. Status and wealth do not matter as much anymore. Now we can finally be together. And I for sure am not going to throw that opportunity away!” 

“Dorotea..” Mikael gasped and got on one knee, “I love you. I always have and always will. I know it’s way too much to ask of me, but.. will you marry me?” 

Dorotea broke into a wide smile, “I already have the ring.. I wouldn’t even think about backing down now!” She laughed melodically and the two embraced.

“I’m going to show you my home! And afterwards, we can play and sing our song once again!” Näcken rejoiced cheerfully, picking Dorotea up bridal-style and carrying her towards the lake, deeper and deeper.

“Come back here during sunset! I’ll have the cure ready by then!” Dorotea called out after her before just gazing at her beloved with so much love and appreciation.

The former islanders were left standing alone on the shore, a tad confused but still happy for them. Chelsea sniffed. 

“That was so beautiful..” She whispered, wiping her eyes. Henrik pulled her close comfortingly, petting her hair softly.

“Maybe Näcken won’t bother us anymore now that we helped him reunite with his beloved?” Marisol muttered, her voice full of hope, remembering the vision of Graham; maybe they had avoided it by doing this?

“That would certainly make our lives easier..” Kassam sighed. The friends looked over the calm lake, swearing they could hear the faint sound of violin coming from somewhere. And for a moment, every one of them wanted to believe in true love that overcomes every obstacle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're you surprised by the twist or did you see it coming? :D 
> 
> Also the translation to Fernando by Frida (from ABBA) is done by me.. It's crazy how different the English version (ABBA version) of Fernando is from Frida's version.. I like both of them in their own ways though! 
> 
> This chapter was originally meant to have more to it, but it was already over 5000 words long and only 1/3 was ready, so I decided to cut this chapter into two different parts!


	15. The Worth of a Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The former islanders return to the bunker and find something horrible waiting for them there.. But what do they find?

The group returned to the bunker, excited to inform Gary, Shannon and Ibrahim about the good news and progress. As they opened the hatch door, they heard Gary’s familiar voice shouting from down below.

“Go away, whoever you are, you.. You monster!” He shouted threateningly, although a hint of fear was detectable in his voice. 

What had happened while they were gone? The operation had taken a long time, nearly all day, but they had believed that nothing could have harmed the trio while they were inside the bunker.

“Gary! It’s us! We’re coming down!” Lucas shouted back before starting to descend down the ladder. They could hear Gary sighing in relief.

As they all went underground, they figured out why Gary had been so on edge and nervous. The reason was as clear as day as they looked around. Gary was sitting, leaning against a corner wall, pale and troubled.

“Gary.. Where are Rahim and Shannon?” MC asked calmly, although she felt a familiar dread creeping up her spine as she thought about the possible answers to her questions..

“We.. We heard some odd noises coming from up there and they went to check up on it, saying they’ll come back in a minute.. But they never did! I didn’t hear them screaming, and even the odd sounds ceased.. I kept waiting for them but oh God, I think they’ve been taken by someone or something!” Gary spilled the beans, hasty and panicked with his words, visibly feeling guilty and responsible.

“What?! What did the noises sound like?!” Marisol demanded to know, analyzing the situation they had suddenly been thrown in. 

Gary thought for a moment, furrowing his thick eyebrows, “It sounded like… Something heavy being dragged around the forest floor.. And some deep growls and groans.. I didn’t recognize any English words..”

“They could’ve been trolls by that description!” Henrik suggested, playing with his hair with nervous energy.

“Rahim and Shannon wouldn’t have stood a chance against that creature without any far-range weapons or a surprise tactic!” Lottie gasped, shaking her head in disbelief.

“And the last time Rahim encountered a troll, he froze and it cost him Jo’s life..” Bobby sighed, seeing the horrific, bloody scene in front of him again. It made him shiver.

“Please tell us they took a gun with them!” Chelsea begged Gary, her blue eyes full of worry. Gary let out a long, frustrated exhale, burying his head in his hand.

“They told me to keep the gun in case something slips in.. They only had knives..” Gary hissed through his teeth, looking like he was about to throw up any second now.

“Well, that was a stupid move..” Carl sighed disappointedly, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache.

“We were convinced it was only an animal! Like an elk or a bear.. But in hindsight I think we were a tad foolish..” Gary mumbled, looking at the floor, distraught by everything that had happened.

“A tad? You think?” Hope whined, her gaze cold and harsh, but that was just her natural reaction to high stress levels.

“I once saw a video of a Finnish man defending himself and his dog against a bear with a broomstick..” Chelsea reminisced dreamily, although her contribution to the conversation didn't really help the group with their new major problem.

“Well I’m sorry! What else am I supposed to say or do?! I can’t exactly rewind time now can I?!” Gary yelled, his light blue eyes shining under the dim bunker lighting. The group fell silent afterwards.

MC tried to form a theory of her own on what had happened to Shannon and Ibrahim. Maybe the troll or trolls waiting for them had either killed them or hit them unconscious and dragged them away? And she was almost certain that the trolls were working for Ulrike.. So maybe Ulrike had ordered the trolls to kidnap someone in order to threaten and blackmail them? Something like; ‘Either you leave immediately or Shannon and Ibrahim die?’ Even the thought of that caused MC to get goosebumps..

“Oh Rahim and Shannon.. Do you think they’re still alive?” Rocco sighed in a melancholic manner, his curly brunette hair hanging over his face, creating a shadow on his face.

“We can’t be sure, but if Ulrike is playing this game strategically, it is not in her best interests to kill them right away..” Carl analyzed thoughtfully. 

“You mean.. As in she’s going to use them as a bait?” Marisol inquired, raising her eyebrow quizzically.

“That is one possibility, yes. She could be trying to lure us into danger.. She also knows she has a lot of leverage on us now, so this would be her prime time to threaten, blackmail or bargain with us..” Carl bit his lip anxiously.

“Or she could try to distract us from our main mission this way..” Kassam muttered quietly, furrowing his brows.

“Or then Ulrike is simply just a sadistic fuck!” Graham declared, his voice shaky from anger. 

“Well, we obviously have to figure out what happened to them and attempt to find them.. Dead or alive. And standing here doesn’t help us find out the truth.” Lucas spoke, and the others nodded along to his statement.

“Let’s try to remain positive until we have concrete evidence telling us otherwise!” Henrik smiled slightly to everyone, trying to instill an optimistic attitude and hope to his friends that were feeling down.

“Lucas and Henrik are right! We can’t make progress without investigating! And if we start the investigation without any hope or faith, the investigation is already doomed to fail! It's all about manifestation, guys!” Lottie encouraged the group, full of determination.

“Let’s do this then!” Gary boomed and stood up, a little wobbly from both loss of blood and from suddenly standing up.

“Gary! You’re still weak, you should stay here..” Rocco attempted to stop him, but Gary shook his head.

“No! It’s my fault they disappeared! And the enemy clearly knows this base, it’s no longer safe and sealed!” Gary argued, trying to stand tall and intimidating.

“It’s not your fault.. You didn’t know..” Chelsea comforted Gary, but he didn’t budge.

“Plus, Rahim is a sound guy.. I’d hate to see anything bad happening to him..” Gary sniffed, looking both vulnerable and unstoppable at the same time.

“Fine.. You may come with us, but tell us whenever we need to stop and take a break..” Henrik finally gave in and Gary smiled back at him gratefully.

“Well, what are we waiting for?! Time is of essence! Let’s go!” Gary hurried off, trying his best to hide his pain and dizziness.. Although the end result didn’t really work out.

“Oh Shannon.. Ibrahim.. Please be alright..” MC sighed as she followed the group, barely bearing the thought that she might have lost two more of her friends.

~*~

[Shannon & Ibrahim]

“Ooh, my head....” Shannon muttered as she came to be, her vision slowly adjusting to the shady room. She didn’t know where she was, and no matter how hard she tried to figure it out, she couldn’t remember the place. It was dark and gloomy, and she could hear a small drip of water hitting the hard ground somewhere nearby.

Shannon looked in front of her and gasped loudly, “Rahim!” She yelled and ran up to Rahim, kneeling next to his limp body, “Oh God, oooh God..” She mumbled as she looked for Rahim’s pulse. Letting out a sigh of relief as she found it, she began to try and wake him up.

Gently slapping Ibrahim’s cheek and calling out his name, Shannon was beginning to remember what had happened. Ibrahim and her had gone to investigate weird noises, and then they were knocked out by a blunt object.. Her head was throbbing painfully, but she didn’t let the possible head trauma worry her at that very moment. She needed to make sure Ibrahim was going to be okay..

Finally Ibrahim begun to open up his dark eyes slowly, pain and confusion evident in his eyes. He tried to sit up fast, but fell back down from dizziness, holding his swimming head. 

“Ouch.. Where are we?” Ibrahim asked, glancing at Shannon.

“We were knocked out and taken by someone..” Shannon whispered and stood up, looking around for a way to escape. It looked like they were in some sort of natural cell.. 

“Wait.. This looks similar to the place where Bobby was taken, but..” Ibrahim remembered, but frowned, “I don’t think it’s exactly the same… I don’t see the way to the bunker anywhere..”

“It’s unlikely our kidnapper would’ve been dumb enough to bring us there..” Shannon sighed and began to investigate the place further. Ibrahim stood up slowly too, swaying back and forth.

“We need to get out of here..” Ibrahim winced, panic starting to settle in.

“What do you think I’m doing? Figuring out how to decorate this hellhole? No, I’m trying to find a way out!” Shannon rolled her eyes sarcastically.

“Oh yeah..” Ibrahim muttered, a little hurt by Shannon’s comment. He used to really like Shannon, but their relationship had been a little complicated after the show and especially since Jo’s death. Sometimes Shannon was very nice and considerate, but other times she appeared to be straight-up mean and cold.

“Ugh, that came out wrong.. Sorry, Rahim. I didn’t mean to say it like that..” Shannon understood Ibrahim’s silence and turned to look at him, a sad smile on her face.

“Why can’t we just be friends? Other times we are, but other times you treat me like I’m an inferior being..” Ibrahim averted his gaze, frowning.

“Rahim.. It’s not.. I..” Shannon tried to find something to say, but her mouth kept opening and closing as she couldn’t find the right words.

Suddenly, a feminine voice cleared their throat behind them, “This is not the correct time to talk through a complicated relationship.. You’re MY prisoners.” Ibrahim and Shannon whipped around to see the source of the voice.

There, behind a cell door stood Ulrike, her arms crossed and a curious look on her face. She grinned devilishly at the pair, clearly calculating something in her head.

“Ulrike!” Ibrahim gasped, a hint of fear emitting from his voice.

“So this is Ulrike?” Shannon thought out loud, her face unreadable as she analyzed the woman in front of her. 

“Well, I’ve never really seen him before, but I’d remember that voice anywhere..” Ibrahim muttered, both scared and angry, remembering that Ulrike was the one technically behind Jo’s death.

“That’s me! What, were you expecting something else?” Ulrike winked and bit her lip, glancing up to the pair under her long eyelashes. 

“I wasn’t expecting anything, really.” Shannon shrugged, keeping her cool under Ulrike’s gaze.

Ulrike grinned at Shannon, “I like you.. It really is a shame..” She sighed, acting like she was deeply disappointed. 

“What is a shame?!” Ibrahim quickly questioned, worried about Ulrike’s response. 

“Oh, just that only one of you may live..” Ulrike answered nonchalantly, as Shannon’s and Ibrahim’s stomachs fell at the comment. They looked at each other, wondering what Ulrike had meant.

“Do.. Do you wish to elaborate on that?” Shannon inquired, pushing away the growing fear within her heart.

“Oh yes! I’ll give you exactly an hour, and within that hour.. Either one of you kills the other or you both get killed..” Ulrike smirked sadistically, clearly enjoying this little game.

“What?! You can’t make us do this!” Ibrahim protested, clearly wearing his heart on his sleeve. 

“What is this cheap-ass SAW bullshit?” Shannon snarled, rubbing her temples in frustration. 

“Oh, I can make you do whatever I please..” Ulrike smiled mysteriously at Ibrahim, looking up at him meaningfully. Ibrahim felt heat rising to his cheeks from that look no matter how hard he tried to hate everything about Ulrike.

“Rahim.. She’s using her powers on you..” Shannon nudged Ibrahim out of his trance. Ibrahim quickly shook his head, embarrassed by the growing hotness under his collar.

“Men are so easy to manipulate!” Ulrike let out a loud, echoing laugh, “Just one look and they’re wrapped around your fingers.. Don’t you agree with me, Shannon?” Ulrike bit her lip seductively while looking up at Shannon. 

“Oh no, your charm is not going to work on me. It’s not even worth trying.” Shannon deadpanned, not affected by Ulrike’s subtle flirting.

“Aww.. Well, maybe that just makes you special, Shannon!” Ulrike winked at Shannon before her face got more serious, “Well, you have the knife. I’ll come back in an hour, and by then.. One of you better be dead.” Ulrike reminded them and started to leave the area.

“Wait!” Shannon shouted before Ulrike could leave. Ulrike turned back to look at her curiously.

“Aw, are you hating to see me go? Oh, but I'm sure you’ll enjoy watching me leave..” She laughed, but stayed put to hear Shannon’s offer.

“Why would you want one of us to die? Wouldn’t it be smarter for you to keep both of as live to blackmail the others into doing your bidding?” Shannon questioned, narrowing her eyes while staring straight into Ulrike’s eyes without fear.

“Oh, I don’t need to bargain with those losers, they can’t do anything to harm me.. My plan is already falling into place!” Ulrike chuckled darkly, “I just want to see you suffer, that’s all there is to it, really!” She added, clearly finding the different reactions by Ibrahim and Shannon intriguing; Ibrahim let out a agonized sob, but Shannon remained quiet, barely studying Ulrike.

“How can you be so sure? What if you’re just underestimating humans?” Shannon challenged Ulrike, not playing along in her sadistic little game. 

“I know what humans are capable of.. And I am not impressed by their capabilities.” Ulrike grinned, “Now I must go! Your hours starts here! I’ll chime in when you have five minutes left!” Ulrike sung and waltzed away from the cell door.

“PLEASE NO! YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” Ibrahim yelled after her in vain. Shannon touched his shoulder consolingly, shushing him.

“Shh.. Rahim.. It’s going to be alright.. But remember, screaming and begging won’t work on her.. That’s exactly what she wants and get off on - our fears and panic…” Shannon whispered, staring straight into Ibrahim’s eyes.

“What are we supposed to do know?” Ibrahim cried out, his mind hazy with anxiety.

“Let’s try to find a way out.. And I’ll form an alternative plan.. Don’t worry yourself about anything else but finding a way out.. If all else fails..” Shannon inhaled and exhaled deeply, finally starting to sound concerned, “I know what to do..” She sighed ominously, Ibrahim tensing up next to her, but being too scared to ask about Shannon's plan B.

…

“This is hopeless, Shannon.. I’ve searched this place from floor to ceiling so many times!” Ibrahim complained, turning to face Shannon. Shannon was holding the knife in her hand, examining it and turning it around thoughtfully, “.. Shannon.. Please listen to me..” Ibrahim sighed, walking closer to Shannon. 

“I am.” Shannon simply stated, still staring at the sharp object.

“No, Shannon, look at me.” Ibrahim begged, his voice suddenly shaky. Shannon finally lifted her gaze and met Ibrahim’s eyes, a tad worried about his tone of speech.

“Rahim, what’s up?” She asked rather casually, lowering the knife. She walked up to Ibrahim, searching for something in his eyes - answers, untold secrets, fears, hopes - anything.

“Please… Kill me, Shannon. I have nothing to live for anyway. My Jo is gone. Without Jo, I feel so empty.. My body still has scarring from being burnt. I still haven’t fully recovered from the last time mentally. I feel like I’m never going to be able to fully move on from this summer. And if one of has to die.. It should be me.” Ibrahim spoke, his voice wavering and eyes filling up with tears slowly. 

“Rahim.. What are you saying?” Shannon asked, surprised that Ibrahim would be that willing to just give up like that. 

“Shannon, I want to die. You’ll be granting me a wish! I’d rather be killed by you than Ulrike, or any other monster, because I know you’ll make it swift and precise. You’re not a monster, Shannon!” Ibrahim cried out, his hands and legs trembling. His breathing was becoming more and more ragged.

“If I’m not a monster, then why are you asking me to do something so monstrous?” Shannon asked sharply, hiding her emotions. Ibrahim tensed up, taken aback by her question.

“Because.. We.. I..” Ibrahim took in a long breath before continuing, “I didn’t see it while I was on Love Island, but later when I re-watched the show I realized that.. You didn’t really love me. You were using me as the weak link.. To stay in the villa, to win the show and take the money.. If Jo hadn’t come around, I would have probably stuck with you until the end, not understanding that you loved fortune more than me.” Ibrahim finally admitted something that had been bothering him for such a long time. 

Shannon fell silent, but didn’t look away in shame or anger. The was calm, motionless, blinking a few times.

“Rahim..” She sighed, “You’re right. I played to win. My plan didn’t work out, and I lost. Simple as that. But.. That’s how I went to the villa. I had seen you on TV, and chose you as my target. But what I didn’t expect was that I would actually.. Begin to like you. I really did care for you, Rahim, and when you chose Jo, it hurt. And it hurt to watch you ask Jo to be your girlfriend. Although I knew I had lost you fair and square, I never stopped caring. I don’t know if I could’ve called it love, but.. If we would have had more time together, then maybe I could’ve actually fallen for you..” Shannon spoke the truth, smiling bitterly at Ibrahim. Ibrahim’s mouth was slightly hanging open and struggled to find the right words. 

“You.. So you.. Did care for me?” Ibrahim asked carefully, as if not believing her words.

“Of course, Rahim. I’m not immune to feelings. As I saw how.. Authentic and sweet you really were, I knew that I could be in trouble,” Shannon laughed, “But I moved on from that. I knew that you were really happy with Jo, and although we never learnt to really like each other, I am sad about what happened to her and what you had to go through.” 

“But as you can see. Right now I’m only an empty shell, a ghost of what I used to be, without Jo by my side.. So.. Just do it. Kill me. Then I can see Jo again..” Ibrahim sighed melancholically and looked at the ground. He felt weird hearing Shannon being so open about her feelings and thoughts. 

“I'm not a murderer, Rahim, and I refuse to become one.” Shannon frowned, glancing at the knife that she was holding again.

“It’s better that way, Shannon.. You have better chances to make it out of here, anyway. You’re smart, strategic and lucky.” Ibrahim scoffed, getting frustrated with Shannon’s reluctance to cooperate.

“Five minutes!” They heard a familiar voice singing out loud from somewhere, sending shivers down their spines

“.. And that’s exactly why I am the one who makes the plans around here, Rahim. Just trust me.” Shannon smiled confidently at Ibrahim.

“What’s your plan, Shannon?” Ibrahim whispered, looking around for Ulrike. 

“Kill me, Rahim.” Shannon replied nonchalantly, as if she had just asked Ibrahim to text her.

“What?! How does that differ from my plan?!” Ibrahim demanded to know, flabbergasted that Shannon would even suggest something like that, let alone so calmly. 

“You have to do it, Rahim! Otherwise both of us will die!” Shannon raised her voice a little, sounding strict and stubborn.

“But the end result will be the same! I don’t think you’re Jesus who can just resurrect, no matter how lucky you are!” Ibrahim insisted and tried to grab the knife from Shannon’s hands. Shannon didn't let him take it.

“Calm down. I have a plan..” Shannon smiled at Ibrahim and moved closer, whispering something in his ear. Ibrahim’s eyes widened in shock as he listened.

“Are you crazy?” Ibrahim whispered in shock.

“Just a little..” Shannon laughed before wrapping hers arms around Ibrahim, “Oh Ibrahim, I’m so sorry it had to go this way..” Shannon sighed deeply while embracing Ibrahim tightly. Ibrahim stood there for a second, tense, before hugging her back. Shannon laid her head on Ibrahim’s chest, listening to his heartbeat for a moment, “Please, forgive me..” 

“Shannon.. I’m sorry too..” A tear started to roll down Ibrahim’s cheek. Suddenly, Shannon gasped in pain as her body tensed up. Their eyes met for a second, Shannon’s eyes empty and void, as she fell down to the ground, motionless, a knife sticking out of her stomach

Silence. Ibrahim stared at Shannon’s body and her white shirt that was beginning to become stained with blood. Before soon, silence was starting to be filled with quiet chuckling. Shannon didn’t move. Ibrahim continued laughing, now openly crying as he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Shannon’s motionless form. 

“She’s dead! Ahahaha! I killed her! Finally she’s gone! She used me, manipulated me and played with my feelings, but finally I got my fucking revenge!” Ibrahim shouted, laughing like a maniac, but couldn’t stop crying. 

Ulrike walked behind the cell door, rather surprised by who was the last one left standing. She had rooted for Shannon, that vixen, but she had apparently underestimated Ibrahim’s craziness. She clapped her hands together in applause, continuing until Ibrahim noticed her presence. Ibrahim turned around, grinning and not even flinching out of fear as he saw Ulrike.

“Bravo! That was a real show. You’re free to go and try to find your friends.. Maybe you’ll find them before nighttime if you’re lucky!” Ulrike smiled at Ibrahim and opened the cell door, “I’m going to take care of Shannon’s body, don’t you worry about it..” 

Ibrahim glanced back at Shannon for one last time, but refused to spare another look at Ulrike. He stayed put, not sure where to go as two trolls came in to take Shannon away.

~*~

[Priya]

Priya had learnt about Ulrike’s kidnapping through the forest creatures, and she was absolutely fuming. Not only had Ulrike done that behind her back, but also she had kidnapped two of her friends. Now, she was desperately trying to find the jail that Ibrahim and Shannon were being held at.

He could smell them faintly, but to her frustration she could also smell Ulrike being near them. She just wishes she's not too late. Running, she counts her every heartbeat. It is one of the signs left telling her that she’s truly alive and a human.

She could smell them stronger now. She had to keep running. For their sake. Their lives maybe depended on her. She didn’t trust Ulrike to be in the same room with her human friends. 

When she finally arrived to the jail, she didn’t find Ulrike anywhere. Instead, she saw Ibrahim chuckling to himself on his knees on the ground and a pair of trolls carrying a motionless Shannon away.

“Ibrahim! What happened?!” She screamed and ran up to Ibrahim, kneeling down next to him, worried, “What did they do to Shannon?!” She demanded to know. 

Ibrahim silenced down, looking at Priya is surprise, “Priya.. Is it really you?” He asked, genuinely worried about Priya’s well-being, “Are you alright?!” He questioned as they both stood up, Ibrahim soon grabbing Priya’s shoulders roughly like a drowning man. 

“I’m fine, but Shannon is not! We have to help her! Who hurt her? Is she dead!?” Priya shouted and Ibrahim, surprised by his rough handling.

“Shannon..” Ibrahim whispered before continuing giggling, “Shannon is.. She is!” He laughed louder and louder, beginning to shake, “I killed Shannon!” 

“You WHAT?!” Priya screamed, backing away from Ibrahim in shock, “You killed Shannon?! Why?! How?!” She shook her head, not wanting to believe what she had just heard.

“I KILLED Shannon, Priya! And it felt so good! I stabbed her, and she fell to the ground, unmoving! I feel so liberated now, Priya!” Ibrahim laughed, wiping tears from his dark brown eyes. They were shining with something unknown to Priya.

“Ibrahim.. I.. I don’t even know you anymore.. How could you kill Shannon?!” Priya screeched, her head swimming. Ibrahim had turned into a literal demon, and here Priya had thought she was supposed to be the one turning into a demon real soon!

“It had to be one of us, or Ulrike would have killed us both!” Ibrahim explained, grinning, “And I just took out my built-up anger and frustrations on her! She had it coming, don’t you agree? She was a bitch anyway!” Ibrahim added, taking a few steps towards Priya. The closer he came, the further Priya backed away.

“You’ve totally snapped! You need help! Get out of this forest, go home and sign yourself up to a mental institute!” Priya yelled, pushing Ibrahim away when he walked closer. 

“Only if you come with me!” Ibrahim smirked, stopping and staring at Priya with a cocked head. He still had a knife in his hand. 

Priya thought for a second, coming up with an idea. If she led Ibrahim back to their friends.. They would see how urgently Ibrahim needed help and return to the UK as soon as possible! Then, she slipped Ibrahim and playful smile, “Only if you catch me!” She challenged Ibrahim and began to run away, Ibrahim following closely.

Ibrahim could never catch up to her even though he’s an amazing athlete as she had her super powers.. But she could ran slowly enough for Ibrahim to keep his sights on her and Priya could discreetly lead Ibrahim back to their friends with her heightened senses.

“Are you scared of me? ARE YOU SCARED OF ME?!” Ibrahim yelled right behind Priya, swinging the sharp knife in his hands like a toy. 

“Why would I need to be afraid of you?! You’re a mere human!” Priya attempted to rile him up to get him to run faster - to the safety of their friends faster.

They ran through the forest, and soon enough Priya had a good idea about where the rest of their friends were right now. The closer they became, the more careful she was, her main wish being her friends wouldn’t see or recognize her.

Soon, they were only 200 meters away from the rest, and Priya decided to hide behind a tree and let Ibrahim wander alone to their friends. Ibrahim, surprised that he had suddenly lost his sights on Priya, just kept running forwards as he started to hear familiar voices. 

Priya watched her friends be reunited from a tree branch, wanting to see them make the decision to leave Sweden and get Ibrahim some psychological help. Ibrahim ran straight to their friends just as Priya had planned, and she watched the rest of the scene unfolding in front of her with slight worry.

“Do you hear that?” Henrik hissed and pointed a rifle towards the incoming sounds. The rest of the former islanders froze, listening to the same sounds. It sounded like someone was running towards them, but it didn’t sound as heavy as a troll.

“It is an animal?” Hope whispered, staying close to the rest of the group.

“Is it Ulrike?” Marisol wondered, her hand searching for Graham’s arm. Graham pulled her behind him protectively.

“No, it’s.. It’s..” Chelsea narrowed her eyes and gasped, “It’s Rahim!” She squealed, ecstatic to see their friend again. Henrik lowered his rifle and they began to make their way towards Ibrahim hastily.

“Rahim! Are you alright?!” Gary ran to his close friend, but stopped when he saw a blood splatter on his shirt, “Did you get hurt?!” He asked worriedly.

“No, no, I’m fine!” Ibrahim smiled a little unnervingly.

“Where’s Shannon? Why isn’t she with you? Do we need to save her?!” Graham questioned, noticing that Ibrahim had come alone.

“No one can help her anymore..” Ibrahim sighed, but a smile kept plastered on his face. 

“What do you mean, Rahim?” Bobby asked, his amber eyes wide and worried. Slowly, Ibrahim began chuckling again. The rest of the islanders exchanged wary glances.

“Ulrike kidnapped us.. She said that one of us has to kill the other or both of us will die.. And.. And!” Ibrahim laughed louder, holding his stomach, “I killed Shannon! She’s gone! Dead! Finished!” 

The rest of the friends looked at Ibrahim like he was crazy. They were completely speechless, horrified how lightly Ibrahim was taking all of this. Chelsea hugged Henrik’s strong arm, her eyes filling with tears. Hope muttered something under hear breath, shaking her head. Marisol just stared at Ibrahim wide-eyed, not recognizing him anymore. 

“What the fuck, Ibrahim?!” MC yelled and walked straight up to Ibrahim. A loud slap against flesh echoed through the forest. The rest of the former islanders stared in shock mixed with awe and Ibrahim held his right cheek throbbing with pain.

“Ouch! What was that for?!” Ibrahim groaned and took an angry step towards MC, but both Bobby and Lucas quickly walked in between those two, protecting MC. They both stared at Ibrahim with so many questions and so much contained anger.

“You KILLED Shannon! And you’re laughing about it! Don’t you feel any type of remorse?!” MC shouted from behind the two men, her face contorting with fury and heartbreak. She could never imagine killing any of her friends, let alone ones that she’s had a romantic connection with like Ibrahim had had with Shannon.

“If I didn’t kill her it would have been both of us! Had that been a better choice, huh?! And she had it coming… She played me! Manipulated me! She never cared about anyone else but herself!” Ibrahim defended himself, puffing up his broad chest.

“You’re wrong!” MC screamed, trying to push through Lucas and Bobby, but they didn’t budge. Eventually two strong arms caught her by both of her arms, holding her back. On her left she saw Henrik and on her right she saw Rocco, “Let me go! I want to see him regretting his actions!” 

“MC, calm down.. We’re all angry, but violence is not the answer right now..” Rocco sighed, staring straight into Ibrahim’s eyes coldly. 

“Who are any of you to say that you wouldn’t have done the same in my situation! I would have died if I didn’t kill her! you can judge me and persecute me, but I just did what was necessary!” Ibrahim spitted at the ground at Bobby and Lucas' feet, his muscles bulging under his t-shirt. 

“Can’t you guys see that Ibrahim has totally lost his mind? We should tie him up so he can’t hurt any of us!” Marisol commented snarkily. 

“You’re right..” Kassam sighed and began to open his rucksack. He took out rope that he had carried with him, “Carl, Graham. Help me out?” He asked and the two men nodded. Lucas and Bobby also helped the three men at restraining and tying up Ibrahim’s hands behind his back. They also evacuated the knife from him.

“Let me go! I didn’t do anything wrong!” Ibrahim shouted, struggling to get free in vain. 

“Didn’t do anything wrong? You killed Shannon! You need help!” Lottie sneered, her hands at her hips in a tough stance. 

“And now Ibrahim, if you don’t want us to call the policemen right away, you better show us to the place you were kept prisoners. It might be close to Ulrike’s base..” Carl showed Ibrahim his walkie-talkie jeeringly, staring coldly at Ibrahim.

Ibrahim crumbled, kicking his feet, “Follow me..” He huffed and began to walk to the direction where he had been running from. The rest of the group followed him, Graham and Lucas walking right next to Ibrahim as his personal bodyguards in case he tried anything funny. 

“I can’t believe Shannon is gone..” Chelsea sniffed, holding hands with MC. MC nodded, imagining what Shannon’s last moments would have been like. Being betrayed by someone she used to have feelings for? By her friend? And it all was orchestrated by one angry, bitter and sadistic demon that had already taken so many of their friends away from them.

“I can’t believe they decided to continue this wild goose chase anyway..” Priya sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. Her little plan hadn’t completely worked out.. She kept following the group for a while before decided that this was too dangerous. Plus she wanted some answers from a certain someone..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Shannon..? Poor Rahim..? This chapter contained a twisted version of the prisoner's dilemma. Also know; things are not always as they seem.. I’ll address this thing further in the next chapter


	16. A Girl in Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Priya and Ulrike get into a fight, which ends in other type of heating up. The big group gains the cure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! This chapter depicts sexual themes.

[???]

Darkness and pain. That’s what life was right now. No matter how hard you would try to open your eyes, they wouldn’t open. An eternal darkness envelopes your very being. No way out, no way in. And then the pain, oh, the sweet sensation of feeling anything at all. It started off as small, but as time went on, it spread and immobilized. 

“Must.. Move..” A voice called out in the darkness, speaking through the pain and misery that it has experienced. The will to live outshone the will to die; The will to help proved stronger than the will to gain for oneself. 

It would have been easy to stay put. It would have been easy to give up. It would have been easy to accept the situation as it was. But it was no longer an option. The lust for life had sparked into a flame, and there was too much at stake. 

“C’mon…” The voice hissed and started to figure out some shapes in the darkness. Life existed outside the dark. It was alive, breathing and moving. So was the voice, although it went against all the laws of physics. 

Shannon slowly sat up from her slumber that had meant to last forever, but in reality only lasted probably an hour. A disappointing nap, one would say. She woke up in a cold, moist place, from a hard surface where she had been laid to rest. She could barely see in front of her, but from the smell and humidity she figured out that she was probably in some sort of a cellar. 

Now, how was she alive, one may ask; it is a valid question. But Shannon knew the story better than anyone. All had started from a plan; dangerous, but not impossible. Shannon knew the risk and reward -ratio better than anyone, and the plan had been something she was willing to bet on. 

As she was hugging Ibrahim, she had stabbed her own stomach; not a deadly wound, but one that would at first glance seem fatal. She had put a lot of trust on Ibrahim’s acting skills and the fact that Ulrike wouldn’t check her body too closely. Those trolls were too dumb to tell apart a fish and bird, anyway. She had played dead and left the rest of the story in Ibrahim’s hands. She had been worried at first, but felt proud about his performance in the end. 

She had told Ibrahim to act like he had gone crazy. It would give her the needed time and cover to infiltrate Ulrike’s base. It was a stupidly dangerous mission, but this might have been their only chance to truly do it. She told that Ibrahim can’t even immediately tell their friends the truth; but that he shouldn’t wait too long, either. She might need backup.

Now her main mission was to figure out the blueprints of the house, find more information about Ulrike’s plan, possibly try and convince Priya to escape and gather as much information on any surrounding themes as possible. She was eternally thankful to Ibrahim for trusting her, for letting her do this and for playing along even if it might have affected on how other people viewed him. 

She started to move, ignoring the pain she was currently experiencing. The pain was not going to be anything compared to the pain if they lost Priya to that monster. She made her way in the dark, figuring out where she was going by following the wall. Eventually she found a staircase leading up, taking it to get to the surface. 

She peeked through the door gap and looked around, trying to be as discreet as possible. The hall was abandoned, rather dirty and overtaken by plants. She walked through the door and closed it silently, tiptoeing across the hall. She looked into many rooms and detected some possible good hiding places and even clues, but her main mission was to either find information on Ulrike’s and Priya’s current whereabouts and Ulrike’s so-called "foolproof" plan. 

She feared any small sounds; it was better to be safe than sorry. She finally came across this room reminiscent of a kitchen with a small glass bottle on the counter. She carefully tiptoed towards the counter, wondering what could be in the bottle. She picked it up carefully and inspected it; a light blue liquid with hints of red, ominous yet inviting in it’s own sense. She detected it could very well be a tool of Ulrike's plan.

 _‘Huh.. Now if only I had the cure.. I hope the others have made progress with that.. Well, at least I know where it is now..’_ Shannon thought quietly, setting the bottle back down. She was about to make her way out of the kitchen, when she heard sounds approaching. It sounded like.. Talking and footsteps, echoing down the bare corridor.

 _‘Shit, shit, shit..’_ Shannon mumbled and looked around. She noticed a large cupboard below the counters, opened it and clambered in just in time to close the door before someone entered the room. From the small crack of the doors she could follow what was happening.

~*~ 

[Priya]

Priya followed Ulrike into the kitchen, hot on her heels, fuming with unconstrained anger. She demanded to know what had made Ulrike to do something so sadistic, something so unpredictable and something that she knew would hurt her. 

“Why did you do it?! I need to know! I feel like I can no longer trust you at all, you owe me an explanation!” Priya slammed her hand against the counter. It cracked a little, but no one cared. Ulrike remained calm, looking around the room while humming a song.

“Answer me, Ulrike! You’ve gone too far! Can’t you see that I’m hurting?! You’re hurting ME!” Priya yelled, her eyes welling up with tears. Ulrike didn’t say a word, but only picked up the bottle from the counter and looked at it curiously, shaking it a little. She furrowed her brows before putting it back down, shaking her head slightly. 

“Don’t you care about my feelings at all?! I thought you loved me!” Priya continued relentlessly, grabbing Ulrike by her shoulder harshly. Finally, Ulrike sighed and turned to face Priya with a small smile on her face. It was hard to read her exact emotions, if there were any. 

“Calm down. You won’t listen to me if you don’t control your anger.” Ulrike looked up to Priya, seemingly not bothered by her anger. Priya’s entire body shook. 

“I won’t calm down before you explain yourself! I deserve it! I’ve done everything to help you, to make you stronger, to please you, but then you go ahead and torture my friends! Shannon is dead and it’s all your fault!” Priya screamed, tears finally flowing freely. Ulrike tried to reach out to her in order to brush the tears away, but Priya slapped her hand away. 

“But I didn’t kill Shannon. Ibrahim did.” Ulrike shrugged nonchalantly, her gaze cool and collected, not even flinching from Priya’s act of violence.

“You set him up to do it! You forced it to happen!” Priya replied furiously, starting to walk back and forth in the kitchen, nearly pulling out her hair. 

_‘At least everyone thinks I’m dead.. That’s good.. Great job, Rahim..’_ Shannon thought with a small smile forming on her lips 

“They had the weapon with them. I only tempted them, like the snake tempted Adam and Eve.. But Ibrahim’s actions were birthed from his own problems and anger towards Shannon.” Ulrike shook her head, following Priya closely with her eyes. 

“You’re wrong! You were the catalyst!” Priya whipped around to look at Ulrike, fire burning in her eyes, “You drove him crazy by getting Jo killed! You traumatized him! If Rahim was mentally stable.. He would have never done something like that! Rahim is a good guy, gentle and sensitive! I know him!” 

“Do you really?” Ulrike clicked her tongue and walked up to Priya, her hips swaying seductively. Priya froze by the hypnotizing movement, unable to look away, as if she was put under a spell, “Humans are unpredictable. Selfish. They try to look like they’re sensible and following their superior brains, but under the facade, they’re all the same.. They all follow their selfish whims like predators. Humans are predators. They destroy everything in their wake. Nature, animals, even their own families. Humans turn their backs right after they’ve gotten what they want. And if you still haven’t learnt that, well, maybe Ibrahim’s true nature will teach you..” Ulrike spoke lowly and quietly, stopping in front of Priya. She caressed her cheek and jawline gently, until she suddenly dug her fingernails into it. 

“Ouch! What was that for?!” Priya pulled away, holding her jaw, “You first want to hurt me emotionally and now physically?! You’re the one revealing their true nature now..” Priya gritted her teeth, throwing daggers with her eyes. 

“I just acted like a human would. And think about it; haven’t humans hurt you more than I have? All that bullying, shaming, rejection, playing games with your emotions.. Doesn't that sting way worse than what I just did? I’m treating you better than anyone else has before. You just can’t see my entire plan yet, because you’re still blinded by your humanity. Let go of it. It’s worthless here.” Ulrike smirked and harshly grabbed Priya by her chin, pushing her against the wall. Priya gulped and looked up to her, suddenly in loss for words. Ulrike giggled. 

“No.. No..” Priya shook her head slowly, her eyes wide with a new emotion; fear, “I’m not ready to do it yet! I need to get out!” Priya broke free and tried to run, but Ulrike grabbed Priya by her wrist and pulled her close to herself, whispering in to her ear.

“A shadow is always amplified by another shadow. The first shadow looks paler when it’s covered by the second one. That’s kinda how morale works. Is anyone truly evil? Or are we just amplified by the others?” Ulrike looked deep into Priya’s eyes afterwards, slowly licking her lips.

“You.. That doesn't make any sense!” Priya argued, her voice shaky. Suddenly she did something unpredictable; she spat right towards Ulrike’s face. Ulrike dodged it, but accidentally let go of Priya’s wrist. Priya took off. 

Ulrike just merely chuckled darkly, humming something to herself. Shannon strained her ears to hear what she was singing;

_‘You move like a flame of fire,  
your eyes like a flash of lighting!  
You lie since you’re cold inside,  
and I’m gonna tame you, wild thing..’_

Ulrike took off after Priya, wondering where she could’ve ran off to. She strained her senses, a small smirk creeping up to her face.

_‘You’d better watch out,  
I said you’d better watch out!  
Watch out!  
Anywhere you go I’ll find you..’_

Ulrike kept singing ominously while walking through the corridors, dragging her nails along the corridor walls. In her hiding place, Priya shivered, scared of what Ulrike was going to do with her after her little stunt. Should she just apologize? But she was still angry at Ulrike and thought she had done wrong, so why should she apologize?

_‘Watch out!  
I’ll be staying close behind you..   
And I’m tired of waiting,  
Yes it’s driving me crazy,  
And my patience is fading..’_

Ulrike sang, her eyes shining with excitement as she could smell that Priya was scared. She better be scared. She would be gentle with her… But only this once. You can’t have your lover misbehaving like that, now can you? Priya could hear she was getting close. She knew hiding from her was a losing game, but maybe.. Just maybe, it’ll make Ulrike realize how hurt she is.

_‘Oh, you better watch out,  
I said you'd better watch out!’_

Ulrike opened the door of the room where Priya was hiding in. It was one of the bedrooms, and she had been dumb enough to hide under the bed.. How very predictable. Kind of like hiding in a closet or a cupboard.. Ulrike sighed in her head, walking slowly towards the bed. Before she had reached it, Priya had clambered from underneath it and tried to make a run for it. 

However, Ulrike would always be faster. Ulrike grabbed Priya harshly and pinned her against the wall yet again. How she loved to look at Priya like this.. Submissive, scared, avoiding her piercing eyes. It made her feel excited, like a predator that had caught it’s prey. Ulrike leaned in closer, examining Priya’s face and reactions with interest. 

_‘It’s been kind of funny lately,  
You act like I was a stranger..  
I think you’re beginning to hate me,  
But then you’re a girl in danger!’_

Ulrike’s eyes smiled sinisterly as she continued the song. She attacked Priya’s neck with hot kisses and bites, her hands wandering underneath her dress. She knew Priya couldn’t resist that. She knew her reactions and weaknesses better than anyone. 

Priya couldn’t contain her nature, but let out an involuntary moan as Ulrike touched her feverishly. She tried to stay sane, but was soon enough overtaken by lust, just like her body was supposed to work. Ulrike threw Priya on the bed and climbed on top of her, towering over her like mount Kebnekaise. Priya’s body shivered in anticipation although she did her best to cover it up. Her anger was long forgotten by now..

_‘You’d better watch out…  
Ooh, I said you’d better watch out!   
Watch out!   
Anywhere you go I’ll find you..’_

Ulrike continued singing while twisting Priya’s hardened nipples in between her fingers painfully before licking and sucking on them with the passion of a starving animal. Priya moaned in delight, her whole body on fire. Ulrike had that effect on her. Never before had she felt euphoric with so little contact.

_‘And I’m tired of waiting..  
Yes it’s driving me crazy!  
And my patience is fading!’_

Ulrike continued until she trailed lower and lower on Priya’s body, finally offering Priya the sweet sensation she had been waiting for. No one had succeeded in eating Priya out quite like Ulrike did. Priya’s eyes rolled in her head as multiple orgasms found her in the next ten minutes. Her entire body kept shaking, but Ulrike was relentless and didn’t let her rest in between her euphoric orgasms. 

“Ah! It’s too much! Please!” Priya begged Ulrike as her body and core were cramping from both pain and pleasure, tears pricking her eyes. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted Ulrike to stop or not, but her body was giving in. 

_‘So you’d better watch out..  
Yes I said you'd better watch out..  
Watch out, watch out!’_

Priya ended the song as she let Priya ride out another orgasm, even more powerful than the ones before. Priya’s entire body reacted to it strongly, all of her nerves screaming. 

“Ulrike!” Priya screamed, her vision going white.

“I’ll be merciful.. This time.” Ulrike smirked and walked out of the room, leaving Priya laying there on the bed, all alone, in her own juices and pleasure. Priya was both glad it was finally over, but also annoyed about her leaving her like this every time. Ulrike had an intoxicating effect on her, always leaving her wanting more even if she got more than she had bargained for. 

~*~

[The big group]

The big group kept following tied-up Ibrahim, who fell surprisingly quiet after the initial fight. The former islanders still kept a careful eye on him in case he would try anything, but he was surprisingly calm and submissive. The group walked around for closer to 45 minutes, until Ibrahim stopped unexpectedly. 

“Why did you stop?” Marisol questioned from farther away, still not fully trusting Ibrahim’s mental stability.

“I.. I think I may be lost..” Ibrahim finally admitted, looking at the ground defeatedly. MC let out a long, drawn sigh, rubbing her temples.

“And now you’re telling us that? How can you be lost?!” She demanded to know, still angry with the golf player. 

“Well, I ran the whole way and didn't really look around that much..” Ibrahim frowned, sensing the ever-growing tenseness in the group.

“Wait.. Why were you running?” Bobby asked in a surprised tone, “Was Ulrike after you?” He added with confusion. Ibrahim shook his head and looked up again.

“I was running after Priya.” He told the group, who froze at the mention of the name of their friend. 

“You saw her?!” Chelsea squealed, her blue eyes wide and full of questions.

“Why didn’t you tell us that sooner? We could’ve tried and looked for her earlier..” Lucas rolled his dark eyes, staring intensely at Ibrahim afterwards.

“No one asked! You were all busy judging me and telling me how horrible I am!” Ibrahim gritted his teeth, seemingly hurt by remembering the words of his friends.

“So you’re saying that you don’t remember the way because you were busy following Priya? Great..” Hope shook her head, biting her lower lip thoughtfully. 

“None of you would have been able to focus on your surroundings when you’re running after someone with extraordinary powers..” Ibrahim frowned again, fidgeting at the spot. 

“How did you even manage to find her?” Carl asked the all-important question that had been burning in everybody’s brains.

“I didn’t find her.. She found me,” Ibrahim explained. When he saw that everyone was confused by his statement, he continued talking, “After I had killed Shannon.. She just came up to me and kept asking me reasons for killing her and judging me for it, just like you all did..” 

“At least she still has a sense of moral.. Unlike some others..” MC huffed. Ibrahim’s body tensed up threateningly, but he took a few long breaths and calmed down.

“But yeah.. I followed her. In hindsight, I think she was trying to help me to find you..” Ibrahim ended the story, his gaze avoiding the curious eyes of his friends.

“How are we supposed to find the headquarters now?” Lottie pondered out loud, shrugging sadly. The group fell silent once again, re-examining their situation in the light of the new information.

“Well, I know it’s in the general direction of where we went.. But I don’t think we’re going to find the place today.. It’s already getting late..” Ibrahim finally spoke up. 

“The sun!” Henrik looked around to find it and let out a gasp, “We were supposed to go to Askafroa to get the cure! We have to go there now!” Henrik shouted and looked around for a moment, trying to figure out where they were, “I’d say the lake is.. this way!” He pointed to the left of them. 

“Oh gosh, we almost forgot!” Rocco gasped as well, “We were so concentrated on this drama.. I don’t want to imagine what happens if we’re late..” He grimaced. The group members looked at each other, before nodding and heading quickly towards the direction Henrik had pointed.

“Hey! Wait for me!” Ibrahim shouted and began to follow the group, having some small difficulties with balance as his hands were tied behind his back.

…

Before long, they had made their way to _Tystsjö_. The lake was calm, but the evening breeze was already picking up. Everything felt colder than it had been earlier the day. 

“I hope we’re not too late..” Bobby panted and wheezed slightly after the sudden exercise. They had tried to be as fast as they could and jogged all the way to the lakeside. 

“Dorotea! We’re here!” MC shouted at the open lake, and the group waited for any signs on life, holding their breaths. Everything they’ve fought for depended on this moment. 

Slowly, bubbles started to raise from the water and Askafroa stepped out of the waves. Her skin seemed to have a slight tint of blue, just like Näcken’s. Otherwise she looked similar to before.. Even her hair looked untouched and dry, although she just emerged from underwater..

“Oh, there you are.. I thought you had forgotten already..” Askafroa smiled and walked towards the group, holding a small glass bottle in her hand. She handed the bottle to MC, who took it and examined the liquid in it. It was light blue, with some speckles of red in it.. MC didn’t even want to ask about the red speckles.

“So this should reverse the process? Is there anything else we need to know?” MC questioned, showing off the bottled liquid to everyone else too.

“I don’t think so.. She should drink this during the full moon, and turn back. Just make sure she doesn’t drink anything from Ulrike. I’m not sure how her potion and the cure are going to mix together..” Askafroa warned them seriously, “Say hello to Priya from me if you see her.. She’s a nice girl.” She laughed quietly, remembering their talks and Priya’s venting.

“Sure.. Cross your fingers for us!” Henrik grinned at Askafroa, who nodded gratefully.

“Is.. Is there really nothing we can do for you anymore? Like.. Is this it? Are you happy now?” Chelsea asked silently, looking at the ground begrudgingly. 

“You’re so sweet!” Askafroa’s smile widened, “Yes, I’m happy now.. I can finally be with my love. I.. I really am thankful that I was finally freed. Although.. I’m still dead. We both are. And nothing can change that. But at least we’re not alone anymore.” Askafroa smiled, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears. She thought that it must have felt awful to be stuck on earth for hundreds of years. 

“Can’t we like.. Let you and Näcken rest in peace? To move on from the earthly realm?” Lottie frowned, feeling sad all of a sudden.

“I don’t want to risk it.. If we were freed.. Maybe we would be separated again? I couldn’t bear that. But thank you for being considerate!” Askafroa shook her head slowly, looking at the water sorrowfully.

“Is this a goodbye, then?” Lucas asked with raised eyebrows. Askafroa nodded.

“It could very well be.. I’m always going to remember you. I wish you the best of luck with getting out of here alive, saving Priya and with the rest of your lives. You should spend the night nearby so I can hear if anything happens..” Askafroa spoke quietly. 

“Yeah, it would be too dangerous to go looking for Priya and the headquarters now. It’s too late.” Henrik agreed and looked around for a safe nook, “Some of you should go and gather firewood, and the rest should help me to look for a good place.” 

“Thank you for everything once again, Dorotea!” MC smiled at Askafroa who just nodded with a gleeful smile before returning underwater. 

…

The group set camp under some large trees and behind some bushes at the edge of the forest, facing the still lake. They had made another fire, cooking something warm to eat. The group was silent, still going through everything that had taken place that day. 

They had gained the cure, reunited two lost souls and become a big step closer in helping Priya. But they had also lost two of their friends - one to death and one to madness. And Gary's arm was also gone nonetheless. No one wanted to talk to Ibrahim, who was now tied up against a tree so he wouldn’t run away during the night. Ibrahim didn’t even complain when they had decided to do so, submitting to his fate. However, they weren’t cruel enough to not feed him and not to give him something to drink. 

Marisol was leaning against a tree, looking at the group that was sitting down, eating. All of a sudden she heard a familiar sound coming from the lake. She turned around, looking into the distance, but saw nothing.

 _‘Was that just Dorotea..? But that.. That voice..’_ She wondered in her head, trying to pinpoint what she had just heard. Her entire body was tense and on edge as she strained her ears. Then she heard it again. It sounded like soft singing, melancholic and yearning. 

_‘Changing, moving, in a circle  
I can see your face in all of my dreams..  
Smiling, laughing, from the shadows  
When I hear your voice, I know that it means..  
I know it doesn't matter just how hard I try  
You’re all the reason for my life..’_

It sounded so familiar… As if in trance, Marisol started to take steps towards the lake. No one seemingly noticed her odd behavior. The voice she had heard made her heart soar and ache, and something in her stomach twist. A strange longing filled her being. Finally, it dawned on her; It sounded like Elisa! A small glimmer of hope was enough to set Marisol’s heart aflame; maybe she was still alive! It sounded unlikely, even impossible, but she had to see it for herself or regret it forever.

_‘Disillusion, disillusion’s all you left for me  
How can I forget you when my world is breaking down?  
You’re all I had, you’re all I want..  
Disillusion, disillusions, now that’s all I have..’_

Marisol walked closer to the source of the sound, her mouth slightly agape. There was something so wrong about this, something so wrong about her voice.. But she just had to see it through! She had to see her again! Finally Marisol noticed a figure standing at the edge of the water. It seemed to be wearing a long dress, and it was certainly facing away from Marisol, looking at the open water. Marisol walked closer, enchanted by the singing.

“Elisa..?” She whispered quietly as she recognized her frame, her hair and her manners..

_‘Wishing, hoping, chasing shadows  
Did I see your face somewhere in the crowd?  
Thinking, wondering, what you’re doing  
I can’t stop myself from crying out loud..   
They say my wound will heal and only leave a scar  
But then, they never shared our love..’_

Slowly, the figure turned to face Marisol and she could take a good look at her face. Marisol nearly jumped when she saw the figure’s face. 

It was Elisa, but.. She had seen better days. Her eyes were puffy and red around the edges, her skin ashy and sunken, her hair messy and full of sticks and leaves, her body was full of bruises and her lips were swollen and had dried up blood around them. She looked like she had been starving for weeks.. She was still wearing the same clothes as she had done before, although they were much dirtier and worn out. Marisol’s eyes filled up with tears as she saw Elisa’s condition. But at least she was alive.. Right? 

“Elisa..” Marisol breathed out in relief, running up to Elisa and enveloping her into a hug. She reeked awful. Like a lump of rotting meat left under sunlight for days.. Elisa didn’t return the hug, but instead took a step back and got a good look on Marisol’s face, “Elisa! You’re alive! I’ve been so worried!” Marisol smiled and wiped tears away from her eyes

“Were you really?” Elisa asked, her voice distant, “But you never came back to look for me.. You just abandoned me, like everyone else..” Elisa frowned, completely frozen in place, “You just came back to look for Priya.. You didn’t even toy with the thought of helping me.. Everyone loves Priya, but you all forgot about me. It’s so unfair!”

“No, it’s not like that!” Marisol gasped, covering her mouth with her hand in surprise, “We never forgot about you! There was just so much going on, and everyone kept telling me that you’re dead.. I never completely believed them.. I never gave up on you!” Marisol explained, her brown eyes shimmering with hope, “Come to the camp.. Let’s get you some food, you look famished!”

“No.. I belong here now..” Elisa protested, giving a hard look to Marisol, “And furthermore.. If you never gave up on me, then why didn’t you come for me? I thought.. I thought we had something special going on..” Elisa’s eyes quickly filled with tears and she began to hyperventilate.

“Elisa! Deep breaths!” Marisol walked closer to Elisa and rested her hand on Elisa’s shoulder.. It felt surprisingly cold to touch.. Well, she had been outside with only one set of clothes for weeks and weeks now, “We had something special! We can still have that. Elisa, I was so hurt after your disappearance.. You’re all I’ve been thinking about.. I kept blaming myself, beating myself up for leaving you behind.. But now we’re here! Together again! You’re not alone anymore..” Marisol tried to cheer Elisa up and calm her down. 

“You.. You mean that?” Elisa sniffed and looked at Marisol pleadingly. Marisol nodded eagerly and pulled Elisa into another hug. This time she returned it. Marisol tried to push away the thought at the back of her mind that something about this situation felt off.. But she was just so happy and relieved to find Elisa. She finally got her closure, “Marisol.. I really did love you, you know that?” Elisa whispered and Marisol’s heart skipped a beat. 

“I loved you too..” Marisol admitted quietly, her throat tightening from all the emotion overwhelming her. 

“What about you and Graham?” Elisa suddenly asked, her voice going cold. 

“What do you mean? Me and Graham? We’re just friends.” Marisol lifted up her left eyebrow quizzically and looked at Elisa. She looked spiteful. 

“He still loves you.. It’s so clear. I can’t stand him! I hate him! He tries to steal you away from me!” Elisa growled, something unknown and scary in her tone. A shiver ran down Marisol’s spine but she kept herself collected.

“But I don’t love him.. I only love you. Graham and I.. Our ships have sailed. We’re better off as friends, and you know that too..” Marisol smiled carefully at Elisa. Elisa looked like she wanted to protest, but she remained silent and just nodded irritably. 

“Good..” Elisa huffed before slipping Marisol her brilliant smile, “I’m happy you found me. I was so lonely out here..” She sighed sadly, looking at the ground.

“What happened to you?” Marisol asked and ran her her hand through Elisa’s messed up hair. It was slimy, clumpy and moist. Almost like dipping your feet in a lake full of seaweed. 

“I can show you..” Elisa smiled mysteriously at Marisol and walked into the lake, water reaching to her knees, “After we escaped the chapel and saw it aflame.. I heard noises coming from the lake.. I thought it was Henrik who had been set on fire, so I walked closer to see if he’s okay..” Elisa began her story, glancing up at Marisol with mischief. Marisol felt her legs move on their own, taking a few steps in to the water.

“What happened then?” Marisol breathed. The lake water felt cold against her skin. Her brain was yelling her to get away from the water, but her heart forced her to stay. For Elisa. 

“So then, the voice beckoned me closer.. And I walked.. And walked..” Elisa continued, backing away deeper into the water while making sure that Marisol was following her, “And then, someone pulled me underwater..” She stated ominously. Marisol froze, suddenly understanding what kind of mistake she had made. 

Elisa wasn’t alive. 

“Marisol! What are you doing?!” A voice yelled right behind her. Marisol recognized it to be Graham's voice. But before she could turn around or call for help, something reached for her ankle, “Oh no, you don’t!” Graham screamed and quickly began to run up to Marisol.

Elisa wasn’t alive.  
She was dead. 

“Graham!” Marisol yelled as something pulled her under. She swallowed a lungful of cold lake water, her eyes, throat and lungs burning. She was sure this was going to be it. How could have she been so stupid?! She had seen it coming, but wanted to believe in everlasting love. She had so desperately wanted Elisa to be alive, so she had played right along with the enemy. And now she had to pay. 

Elisa wasn’t alive.   
She was dead.  
And that wasn’t her. Not anymore.

Suddenly, another arm grabbed her and pulled her up from the water. With the last of her powers, she saw Graham, holding her. His eyes were full of shock and worry. 

“Marisol! Don’t you dare to die on me!” Graham yelled as he laid Marisol down on the ground, facing away from the lake. Marisol puked out water, finally getting some much needed air. 

“You promised I wouldn’t be alone anymore, dear.. And still you left me again..” A groaning voice called behind them from the lake, “So I guess I’ll have to make sure you’re the one alone, then!” A pair of hands with sharp, nasty nails came from behind Graham and grabbed him by his neck.

“Let go, you monster!” Graham shouted and tried to break free in vain. The nails dug deeper into the tender skin of Graham’s neck as Elisa started to drag him towards the water. Marisol tried to get up, to help him, to save him, but she fell back down. Her legs wouldn’t budge and her mind had gone blank.

“Graham..” Marisol managed to whisper, her lungs and throat still sore from the water. She reached out to him, but then everything around her went dark. 

“Help! Somebody help me!” Graham screamed, trying to alert the others, but when the others had finally run up to the lake, it was calm and quiet, as if nothing in the world was wrong. 

“Marisol!” Hope gasped as she knelt down next to the unconscious woman. Hope lifted Marisol's upper body to her lap, checking for her pulse.

“Didn’t you hear Graham screaming? Where is he?!” Kassam gasped and looked around wildly, trying to spot the ginger man. 

“Oh no..” Rocco gasped, realizing what had happened from past experience with Noah, “Graham’s gone..” He whispered, burying his face in his hands. 

“You mean..?” MC gasped and shook her head, looking into the depths of the water. Rocco nodded, now looking at the others. 

“Graham’s.. dead?” Bobby asked in disbelief. Rocco nodded again, his eyes empty. 

“No! That can’t be! First we lost Shannon and now Graham?!” Chelsea screamed in distress, her entire body shaking. 

“Shh, Marisol’s waking up!” Hope shushed everyone and they all turned to look at Marisol. Marisol groaned, her eyes fluttering open.

“What.. Where..?” Marisol whispered and coughed violently, then looking around, “Where’s Graham?! Oh no, please don’t tell me-!” She tried to sit up again, but couldn’t, instead falling back into Hope's arms. 

“What happened here?” Lucas asked calmly, trying to figure out the full picture. Marisol stopped and turned to look at him with sadness in her eyes.

“I heard singing and I walked closer, because it sounded familiar.. Then I saw her.. I saw Elisa..” Marisol sniffed, reality setting back in.

“You saw Elisa?! I thought she was dead!” Chelsea yelped, but Henrik shushed her.

“She looked awful.. We talked and then I asked her what had happened to her.. She said that would show me.. She tricked me! It had been her plan all along..” Marisol shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks by now, “She pulled me under, but Graham had noticed I had walked off and.. And he saved me! Oh, I feel so bad! It was all my fault!” Marisol cried out, burying her face in her hands in pain.

“Marisol, try to stay calm. What happened to Graham?” Carl asked seriously, evaluating the situation in his head, and wanted a conformation to his theory.

“Graham laid me down on the ground, but Elisa came back, and took Graham instead of me! I tried to help him, but I fainted from nearly drowning before..” Marisol screamed, her voice dripping with guilt and agony. Hope held Marisol in her arms.

“Oh my God..” MC gasped as the world seemingly stopped around them. 

“It’s all my fault! Everyone I’ve ever loved dies! Elisa, Graham! Who's next?! It’s my fault they’re dead!” Marisol screamed and cried loudly, struggling to breathe, “Let me join them! I don’t want them to feel like I abandoned them again!” She tried to get to the water, but Hope held her tight and didn’t let her move. 

“Marisol! You couldn’t have prevented it! We all know how much Elisa and Graham meant to you.. We could never blame you for what happened!” Henrik cut in, attempting to comfort Marisol.

“But if I hadn’t been so stupid, Graham would still be alive! I even saw the vision, but I still fell for her tricks!” Marisol shouted, but her energy to struggle was beginning to run low. 

“But your reaction is so understandable! You were still stricken with grief after losing Elisa, and you would have done anything to see her again.. So when you saw her again, you fell for it without thinking twice. Anyone could’ve reacted similarly in your situation. So don’t blame yourself.. Just keep going for Elisa and for Graham. They would want to see you make it out alive..” MC sighed sadly, glancing at Marisol empathically.

"You saved me before with the help of Noah.. I'll never lose that part. You're not a bad person, Marisol, and every ordinary human being makes mistakes and miscalculations.." Hope smiled feebly, petting Marisol's wet hair.

"And I bet Elisa wasn't really Elisa.. Dead people stay dead.." Lottie grimaced, shadows falling over her face. She looked out at the lake, wondering how many secrets this lake holds. Maybe someday someone will find out. 

“Why didn’t Dorotea stop it? She could’ve helped us..” Chelsea crumpled, her voice full of sorrow and questions. Some of the former islanders looked at her, understanding her point, and just shrugging. 

“We can ask her about it next morning.. Maybe she can bring Graham’s body back to us..” Henrik bit his lip nervously and started to head back towards the camp. The rest of the group followed him, glancing back at the lake with longing. Hope helped Marisol to walk, but that look in Marisol’s eyes would continue to haunt her till the day she dies.

She looked so empty. Like every ounce of will and joy had been sucked out of her. She was a woman with nothing to lose and nothing to gain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah! Two ABBA songs in one chapter! Watch Out from their second album Waterloo and Disillusion from their first album, Ring Ring. Also, RIP Graham :( It sure is hard to kill off these charterers even if I've been planning to do so for months.. 
> 
> To all my Reddit friends; I apologize to people who might have been disturbed by the cover image. It did not come from racist intentions. It was for mere horror's sake, but now I see how wrong it would be interpreted. It did not cross my mind while making the photo, but now I can see my error. I fully support Black Lives Matter and I do not condone racism. I hope this chapter helped people to understand where Ibrahim was really coming from. Also, as you may have figured out, Elisa wasn't really Elisa.


	17. Under Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shannon's secret mission in Ulrike's headquarters continues. Priya is feeling conflicted about her relationship with Ulrike. MC figures out the identity of the mysterious light in her dreams, and also uncovers a dark secret about one of her friends.

[Shannon & Priya]

Shannon breathed a sigh of relief as Ulrike and Priya ran off. She waited for a moment before emerging from the cupboard, brushing dirt and dust off her clothes. 

_‘Ulrike really needs to clean up the place..’_ Shannon thought sarcastically and closed the cupboard door slowly in order to avoid any creaking sounds. She looked at the bottled liquid for a second before continuing her mission. She walked out of the kitchen, looking around for any movement, finding none. She still had a little bit to explore, and she felt much less paranoid now that she knew that Ulrike was in the house but also rather occupied. 

She walked into one of the rooms and noticed a familiar object on top of the dresser. She reached out to pick it up, examining it. It was Priya’s rose necklace that she had gotten from Lottie during the show. She hadn’t been obviously in the Casa Amor villa to see the challenge, but she had seen it afterwards in the show and Priya had also showed it off during one of the house parties she held. Shannon smiled sadly while looking at the necklace, as it reminded her of a time when Priya used to be herself. Savage, classy, bougie, ratchet, sassy, moody, nasty.. In all positivity, obviously. Priya had been unapologetically herself. A strong, fearless woman. A human. 

Shannon couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going through Priya's head amidst all of this. She knew that even i their mission succeeded and they got Priya to return, it would take her time to get better from the trauma, and she wasn’t positive whether Priya was ever going to be her old self anymore.

Shannon quietly put the rose necklace down and opened one of the dresser drawers, a strong stench overwhelming her nostrils. She saw clothes; mostly old and something Priya would never wear; conservative, long dresses, maxi skirts and long-sleeved turtlenecks. Shannon wrinkled up her nose, removing the clothes out of the way to find the origin of the smell.

She had to hold in a scream as unrevealed a human arm. She soon realized that the arm was indeed familiar. It was Gary’s arm. So Priya had picked it up and hid it.. Interesting. Shannon shrugged, getting over her initial fear and disgust; at least the arm was safe, although it was not going to last fresh hidden among some clothes.. But Shannon couldn’t take it with her; she didn’t know where to take it and Priya would most likely notice that it had gone missing. So Shannon put the arm back begrudgingly and hid it among the clothes, trying to remember and mimic exactly how the drawer had looked before.

Shannon examined the room for a while longer, before exiting it, not finding anything else of interest. She had hoped to find a journal or something Priya had written, but she guessed that Priya wasn’t the type to keep a journal. As she left the room, she realized that an odd song seemed to be stuck on loop inside her head. She tried to think about other songs, but the old song remained the strongest.

Sometimes life gives you two choices; suffer quietly or let it all out. And Shannon wasn’t all about suffering in silence. So, what would be a better choice than to sing out loud during a top-secret mission? Shannon whispered the words under her breath, trying to remain discreet.

_Don't know how to take it, don't know where to go  
My resistance is running low  
And everyday the hold is getting tighter and it troubles me so  
You know that I'm nobody's fool_

Shannon looked into the rooms; most of them very empty or only had a few old articles of furniture in them. Eventually the only place Shannon hadn’t looked over was the place she had been brought in first; the cellar. Having memorized the house as well as she could, she made her way towards the dark and moist cellar. She found a light switch on top of the stairs and flipped the switch on. It didn’t offer much light, but enough to see where to walk. Shannon descended down the stairs, watching her steps carefully.

_I'm nobody's fool and yet it's clear to me  
I don't have a strategy  
It's just like taking candy from a baby  
And I think I must be_

Shannon finally made it down the stairs, looking around. The cellar seemed surprisingly big; she had first thought that it was merely a small room full of shelves and mason jars, but it was honestly more of a basement rather than a cellar judging by its size. Shannon made her way through the cellar, cursing under her breath that she didn’t have a flashlight or a lighter. Eventually, she found another light switch; it offered enough light to see the entire area dimly. Shannon froze as she saw what she was surrounded by.

_Under attack, I'm being taken  
About to crack, defenses breaking  
Won't somebody please have a heart?  
Come and rescue me now 'cause I'm falling apart_

There were human and hog carcasses hanging from meat hooks. Shelves full of mason jars with odd liquids and human parts. Eyes, fingers, teeth, toes.. There were also some olden instruments that could be best described as torture devices and a few long tables with blood stains on the surface. One of the tables had a dirty, empty body bag lying on top of it. The sight made Shannon’s stomach turn, but she succeeded in staying calm and collected. She walked closer to the dead bodies hanging from meat hooks, letting out a sigh of relief when she didn’t recognize any them. 

Suddenly, Shannon heard a sound. It sounded like Ulrike talking something to herself, but she wasn’t sure. Still, the sound seemed to be coming closer. Shannon looked around, evaluating her chances. She had to work fast. 

_Under attack, I'm taking cover  
She saw my track, my chasing lover  
Thinking nothing's gonna stop her now  
Should I want to, I'm not sure, I won't know how_

Just as she heard to door creaking, Shannon jumped in to the body bag and zipped it closed a little before laying in it, motionless. She heard as someone made their way down the stairs confidently, as she had walked down the stairs thousands of times before and knew every step and crack by heart. Shannon held her breath, straining her senses.

“Hmmh.. The lights are on..” She heard Ulrike complaining, her stomach dropping. Was she going to be found out? What could she do? Before she could for a plan, however, Ulrike continued her monologue, “I guess one of those hopeless trolls left them on.. They don’t do well with technology..” She sighed before humming and walking around the cellar.

Shannon’s heart was beating so loudly she was sure Ulrike would hear the sound of it. Not to mention that staying in the body bag was hard; the smell, the iffy stains and heat was making the experience nearly unbearable.

“Yes, everything is it’s in place..” Ulrike muttered and examined the hanging carcasses, “When Priya is fully turned, I’m going to surprise her by showing her this room.. She’ll love it.” Ulrike chuckled darkly and walked next to an iron maiden, touching the spikes as if it was as soft as cotton, “So much pain in one room.. It really is delicious. Shows her what humanity is truly worth..” 

Ulrike’s words made Shannon feel sick. And the longer Ulrike spent in the room, the more uncomfortable she was. Luckily for her, Ulrike didn’t stay long; soon enough she made her way out of the cellar, turning off the lights, leaving Shannon into galloping darkness. Shannon quickly got out of the body bag, having hated every second of it. She decided that it was probably the safest to spend the night in the cellar, even though she knew she probably wouldn’t sleep a wink. 

_Now this is getting crazy, I should tell her so  
Really let my anger show  
Persuade her that the answer to her questions is a definite no  
I'm kind of certain that's the truth_

Priya slowly sat up from the bed after Ulrike had left, feeling conflicted. The lyrics came to her head out of the blue and without thinking, she was singing a song she hadn’t even known before, but it seemed to describe everything she had been feeling. At the same time she loved Ulrike so much; she loved how Ulrike touched her, how powerful she made her feel and how she sweet she was when she wanted to be. But at the same time she was beginning to realize how toxic this relationship really was and how Ulrike seemed to have way more sinister intentions that she had originally seen. Ulrike’s plan went beyond their relationship, and Priya was losing faith in her. Priya got up from the bed and walked to the window, peering outside. At these moments, after Ulrike was gone, she felt herself to be so lonely and helpless. How could it be, that someone can raise you up so high and in the next moment drop you like there had never been love at all?

_Guess I'm kind of flattered but I'm scared as well  
Something like a magic spell  
I hardly dare to think of what would happen  
Where I'd be if I fell_

In moments like these, Priya only had one place to go. She quickly put her discarded clothes back on and opened the window, dropping down out of it. She looked around, making sure no one was witnessing her escape, before taking off towards the forest. She ran, not thinking about anything else but the growing anxiety within herself. She knew that every time she would try and talk to Ulrike about her thoughts and emotions, she would succeed in brushing it off and never confronting it seriously. Only one person in this forest would listen to Priya and offer her unbiased advice, even though she had been making deals behind her back, too. 

It didn’t help the situation that Priya felt bad for Ulrike; she really did. She had had a rough and lonely life. But that made her also wonder.. Can she experience positive emotions anymore? Empathy, repentance, happiness, pride, love - were those feelings foreign to her by now? Was Ulrike capable of offering Priya the emotional security she needed - and more importantly, would Priya lose a grip on her emotions over time, too?

_Under attack, I'm being taken  
About to crack, defenses breaking  
Won't somebody please have a heart?  
Come and rescue me now 'cause I'm falling apart_

Priya ran to the clearing where Askafroa had been waiting for her every time, but now she was nowhere to be seen. Priya couldn’t feel her energy around her. The clearing was soulless, echoing back the sounds to the nature, slowly turning cold. Priya looked around, panicked. Where could have Askafroa gone off to? She was basically a tree! She couldn’t have walked far, right? Priya called out after Askafroa, repeating her name, but no one answered. Even the nature had seemingly gone quiet in this moment of distress - no one was offering answers to Priya. Priya’s body began to shake as she thought what could have happened to her friend. Her safe haven. Her confidant. She was gone, and Priya didn’t know if she would see her ever again.

Priya fell to her knees, her head swimming and full of doubts. Was Ulrike behind this? Had she figured out that Priya had been taking advice from Askafroa, and now taken her out? Or was it her friends? Or did Askafroa abandon her because she hated Priya? Who would do this to her only true friend in this forest?! Priya’s eyes welled with tears, but she didn’t let them fall. She needed to be strong. She clenched some grass in her hands, squeezing it harshly and breathing hard. Never before had she felt this alone in this forest. Slowly, Priya let out a long exhale before laying down on the grass, feeling weak and unguarded. She would just wait here until Askafroa comes back. She would keep waiting for her like Hachiko the dog had waited for his owner after the owner had passed away.

_Under attack, I'm taking cover  
She saw my track, my chasing lover  
Thinking nothing's gonna stop her now  
Should I want to, I'm not sure, I won't know how_

Priya waited as the air around her was starting to get chillier. She waited as seconds went by, then minutes, then hours.. She waited, listening to the nature slowly creeping in and taking control. Birds sung. Insects moved. Grass grew. And she heard, saw and felt it all. Nature was always going to return, slowly, no matter what. Priya was sure if she waited here long enough, she would be soon enough covered by a mound of flowers. Maybe Ulrike wouldn’t even notice that she was gone. Priya wouldn’t want to leave before she got to know what had happened to Askafroa. Is she still alive? Was she freed? Was she killed? Priya didn’t know, and it was gnawing her alive. 

“Please, Askafroa.. Come back..” Priya sighed and closed her eyes, growing weary from the emotional conflict she had found herself to be in.

~*~

[The big group]

MC blinked her eyes, looking around with confusion. She was no longer in the Swedish forest surrounded by monsters, but back in the Love Island Villa during the best summer of her life. The Summer of Love. The summer she had met Bobby and all of her friends.

She stood on the yard near the fire pit, memories running through her head. She could see with the eyes of her soul how the Villa came back to live; Lucas and Henrik were playing and swimming in the pool, talking loudly over the splashes. Chelsea was topping up her tan in one of the bean bags. Gary and Ibrahim were working out in the gym, Lottie by their side cheering them on. Hope was fixing up Marisol’s hair, and they were having a conversation, smiles on their faces. It was as if nothing had ever changed. 

MC’s heart was bursting with happiness as he looked around in the Villa. Everything was just as she had remembered it to be. The sun felt warm, the pool was gleaming and bathing in it’s brilliant light. And then, she saw Bobby. Bobby was sitting on the daybeds, looking down at his phone. 

“Guys! I’ve got a text!” He jumped up, shouting loudly across the yard. The islanders whipped their heads around, looking at Bobby’s direction. They began to walk towards him, as Bobby began to recite the text to the group, “Islanders! Today’s challenge is…” 

MC tried to listen, what Bobby was saying, but his words began to get mushed up. A certain darkness was creeping in. She tried to run to Bobby, but her legs didn’t move. A fear was creeping up her spine; please don’t ruin this memory, this moment, she prayed inside her head. As the infinity pool's water was turning gray, and as the sun was cooling down, so did the voices of her friends.

“MC…” A familiar voice called from behind her, warm and calming. MC stood in place, unable to tear her eyes away from the islanders that were starting to make their way out towards the challenge area, “MC!” The voice called out again, and MC finally turned around to see who was calling out for her. 

There, on the fire pit, stood Hannah. MC was surprised to see her there; she hadn’t seen anyone else who had died among the islanders. She was still happy to see her again; She had missed Hannah. MC ran up to Hannah, enveloping her into a tight hug. Hannah laughed, her voice so serene and peaceful, like it was made out of light. Hannah hugged her back, running her hand soothingly through MC’s hair. It seemed like all the growing darkness and fear had disappeared instantly.

“Hannah! What are you doing here? I’ve missed you, girl!” MC smiled as she pulled away, taking a closer look at Hannah’s face. She was truly glowing; her skin was clear and bright, her ginger hair neat and shiny and her clothes were gorgeous. She had never seen Hannah wearing that dress. It was white with blue accents, cold shoulders and lace. She truly looked like a princess from a fairy tale, or some sort of an angel. 

“I’ve missed you too, MC. There’s so much I need to tell you.” Hannah sighed happily. She sat down and signaled MC to sit down as well. MC sat down next to Hannah, just staring at her in awe. Hannah was looking more beautiful than ever, and she felt so real, so alive.. Even though that wasn’t the truth.

“Tell me everything, Hannah.” MC giggled and could barely contain her happiness. 

“Okay, so.. We’re all doing fine. And by us, I obviously mean Jakub, Jo, Noah, Elisa and I.. And Graham who joined us today. He’s doing alright too.” Hannah started, her eyes holding untouchable sorrow as she spoke. MC bit her lip. So it was confirmed now that both Elisa and Graham were truly gone.. She felt her eyes pricking with tears and took a long breath. 

“Wait.. Shannon’s not there?” MC suddenly realized, looking at Hannah quizzically. Hannah smiled mysteriously and shook her head.

“She’s not dead, MC. You can ask Rahim later..” She giggled and continued before MC could ask her further questions, “Graham asked me to relay this message to Marisol through you. Graham wants Marisol to know that he’s not angry at her and he doesn’t blame her for anything. He’s also sorry he can’t keep protecting her anymore..” Hannah sighed, looking at the distance with a gentle smile. 

“I’ll.. I’ll tell her that..” MC promised Hannah and thought about Graham for a moment. He truly did love Marisol until the bitter end, “But Hannah.. How are we able to meet up like this? I’m not complaining, I’m so happy to see you again, but.. It’s not really realistic, now is it?” MC questioned and gently took ahold of Hannah’s hand. It was warm. 

“Well, MC. You’ve met me before..” Hannah smiled like Mona Lisa, mysterious yet mischievous. MC thought about her for a moment. The last time she had seen her was when she had nearly died herself. What could Hannah possibly mean with her answer?

“I’m lost.. What do you mean, Han?” MC shook her head, looking deep into Hannah’s blue eyes. They were deep like the ocean, full of celestial knowledge and understanding.

“I’ve been with you since they day I departed. I’ve been watching over you and chasing away your nightmares.” Hannah replied, and all of the puzzle pieces finally clicked together inside MC’s head. 

“Wait.. Han, you were the light?” MC asked, dumbfounded. Hannah nodded, and MC stared at her mouth agape, “But.. how?"

“I don’t really know either.. But.. I just realized at some point that I had this special connection to you, and that I could enter your dreams. I guess I’m kinda like your guardian angel, or maybe a _fylgja_ , as they call something similar to that in Norse mythology. However, I’ve taking care of you from behind the scenes. You were never truly alone, MC.” Hannah smiled kindly, beginning to get teary-eyed.

“Oh, Han..” MC whispered and felt a tear falling down her cheek, “I.. I’m so happy you are with me.. I’ve been so scared, so anxious, and having met you in my dreams has made me stronger and more optimistic. I’m so glad you’re not truly gone from our lives..” MC laughed, hugging Hannah again. Her entire presence seemed to fill the entire dream world with love and light. 

“I’m so glad I’ve been able to help you.. But now, it’s the final showdown. You’ve gotta stay strong, clear-headed and smart. You can’t let Ulrike win. I can’t help you much, being dead and all, but.. I’m still with you. No matter what happens. Always remember that.” Hannah looked at MC seriously, brushing a single hair from her face gently. MC nodded, knowing that Hannah was right. The following night was the one that would decided their fates.

“Please, watch over us and cheer us on..” MC sighed, leaning against Hannah. Hannah nodded with a smile.

“Always. And I’m sure the others will be cheering for you, too. And if.. If some of you don’t make it, we’re going to be here waiting for you, okay? You won’t have to make that scary journey alone.” Hannah looked at MC comfortingly and laid her hand on her shoulder. 

“Thanks, Hannah.. Tell my regards to everyone else, too..” MC smiled sheepishly, and Hannah nodded softly yet again.

“I will..” Hannah was about to continue, but before she could, the air around them turned colder. They looked up, seeing dark clouds forming in the sky. Hannah looked around, a frown appearing in her face, “Listen up, MC. You need to wake up right now. There’s one more secret you need to unreveal, and if you don’t wake up soon, you may never wake up again..” 

“What do you mean, Hannah?!” MC shouted, surprised by the sudden change in the atmosphere. She began to felt a familiar pressure on her chest and began to struggles with breathing.

“Go on, MC, wake up. I’m still there when you do.” Hannah encouraged her, both insistent and calming. 

“I.. I don’t want to wake up yet! And how do I even do that?!” MC panicked, the pressing feeling growing on her throat and chest. 

“Your subconscious knows how. Just let yourself float away. I’ll be watching over you.” Hannah smiled and slowly turned into the familiar butterfly made out of light. MC took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling as if her soul was leaving her body..

...

“MC! Wake up! Hope! What are you doing?!” MC called a masculine voice calling out from the darkness. She slowly opened her eyes, and what she saw made her let out a blood-curdling scream.

Hope was perched on her chest, her hands laying on MC’s chest and neck, putting pressure onto it. Her eyes were completely back, and her face was contorted inhumanely. She didn’t look like her normal self and she acted as if she was in a trance.

“Hope! Get off of her!” The deep voice called out again, and this time MC recognized it to be Ibrahim’s voice. She tried to open up her mouth and speak, but only managed to let out silent croaks because of the pressure on her chest and throat. 

“What’s going on..?” Bobby muttered next to MC, opening her eyes. As soon as he saw what was going on, he jumped up and tried to push Hope away. She didn’t even budge, her grip getting tighter.

“ _Sova.. Sova, min vän.. Och på morgon du skulle bli borta.._ ” Hope hissed in Swedish, further proving that she was not the one in control of her own body.

“Shit! What’s going on?!” Henrik shouted, getting up, “Woah Hope, what are you doing?!” He yelled and ran up to Hope, trying to help Bobby in pushing her away. She was too strong. 

“Why is everyone yelling?” Lottie yawned and sat up, before freezing in her spot, staring at Hope with wide eyes, “Is she sleepwalking? Is she possessed?” She wondered out loud, getting up and examining Hope further.

“I think she has gone Mara!” Henrik gasped, straightening up and falling into deep thought. Slowly the rest of the former islanders started to wake up too, whispering and gasping at the sight. No matter who tried to push Hope away, she stayed in place, riding on MC’s chest.

“What does going Mara mean?” Bobby gulped, now trying to pry Hope’s hands away from MC’s chest and throat. MC tried to stay calm, but her oxygen supply was starting to run low.

“In Norse mythology, Mara is this evil creature that causes nightmares. They ride on their victim’s chests during nights, giving them nightmares and sometimes ending up killing them. The spirit of Mara can possess people, usually young, unmarried women or mothers that have used black magic in aiding with labor pains..” Henrik explained, biting the inside of cheek. 

“How do we get her off of MC?! How do we bring back the old Hope?!” Lucas boomed, “If we don’t get her off soon, MC is going to die!” His voice was a little shaky as he continued to shout. 

“Uhh… Give me a minute..” Henrik muttered, starting to pace back and forth, clearly under pressure. 

“We don’t have much time!” Chelsea screamed, tears in her eyes, “Please, Hope! I know you can hear me! Make it stop! Don’t kill MC!” Chelsea begged Hope, who didn’t even react to her request.

“Getting rid of Mara, um, getting rid of Mara..” Henrik mumbled, thinking hard, “One possibility is to kill Hope. And other than that, uh..” He stopped pacing, his brows furrowed and pearls of sweat forming on his forehead. 

“We can’t kill Hope! This isn’t inherently her fault!” Gary protested against Henrik’s first suggestion.

“It’s either going to be MC or Hope. One of them is gonna die soon if we can’t come up with anything else..” Rocco shook his head in distress.

“Come on, Henrik, there has to another way..” Kassam sighed, staring at Henrik with a grimace on his face 

“I’m trying, okay!” Henrik cried out, clearly stressed out, “My great-grandmother used to tell me stories about Mara.. But she only described ways to ward off Mara.. Not to get rid of en existing one..” Henrik explained quickly, his hands shaking.

“This is insane! There has to be a peaceful solution!” Carl frowned, not knowing how to cope with the situation. 

“Look at MC’s face!” Bobby suddenly shouted and the others turned to look at her. Her face was turning many shades of gray and blue, “Don’t give up on us, MC! We’ll save you!” Bobby cried out, his eyes glistening with panic and worry.

Henrik sighed and picked up a knife. No one dared to say a word, but just stared at the Swede, open-eyes and mouths agape. Was Henrik going to really do it?

“I’m going to try this one thing first.. But if it doesn’t work, then..” Henrik trailed off, his eyes full of conflict and hurt. He walked up to Hope and knelt down next to her, taking a long breath. He laid his hands on her shoulders and spoke with a low tone.

 _“Hope.. Du är under trollformel av Ulrike. Du har gått Mara. Vakna upp, snälla..”_ Henrik told Hope, whose body went rigid at the words. Slowly, Hope turned to look at Henrik, blinking, _“Hope.. Kan du höra mig? Du är inte du just nu.. Men du kan komma tillbaka.. Det är okej..”_ He continued speaking, and slowly Hope loosened her grip on MC, letting her breathe. MC took a few wincing breaths, her face slowly gaining back more color.

And that’s when Bobby jumped on Hope, pushing her away from MC’s body and pinning her down with all of his strength. 

“Bobby, that’s dangerous!” Henrik tried to warn him, but it was already too late. MC coughed loudly, and Chelsea ran up to her, helping her to sit up so she can breath easier. MC touched her neck, red finger marks still visible on the tender skin.

“Mara! Leave Hope’s body immediately!” Bobby shouted while holding Hope down. Hope’s face contorted to scary and terrifying expressions, before she let out a high-pitched shriek and her eyes rolled inside her head. Black smoke left her body from her nostrils, and floated away quickly. Hope’s eyes rolled back and they were looking normal, although her gaze was glazed.

“Hope.. Hope.. Are you alright?” Marisol asked worriedly. Hope didn’t answer, and Bobby slapped her cheek gently. Hope let out a pained groan, blinking rapidly. 

“Bobby.. What are you doing?” She yawned, her voice back to normal. Bobby freed her and stood up, looking down at Hope. Hope sat up, stretching, and looked around in confusion, “Why is everyone up? What time is it?” She asked, eyes full of sleep.

“It’s two in the morning. We’re all awake because of you..” Gary sighed, staring at Hope intently.

“Because of me? But I don’t even snore.. Lottie does..” She yawned again, rubbing her tired brown eyes.

“Babes, you did something way worse than snoring,” Lottie frowned at Hope’s comment, “Don’t you remember anything at all?” She questioned, surprised.

“No? I’ve been sleeping this entire time before you rudely woke me up..” Hope sneered until her eyes fell on MC. She saw the marks on her neck, “Oh my gosh, MC, what happened to you? Were you attacked?” She shouted and tried to crawl to her, but Bobby stopped her with a stern face.

“Don’t go near her!” Lucas shouted, protective over MC. Hope froze, looking around the group, trying to find any answers from their eyes and faces.

“Why is everyone so mad at me?! I’m just worried about my friend, that’s all..” Hope rolled her eyes irritably.

“You really don’t remember? Henrik, why doesn’t she remember?” Rocco asked Henrik with furrowed brows, slowly stroking his beard.

“People possessed by Mara don’t remember what they’ve been doing. She really doesn’t remember, she’s not lying..” Henrik sighed. Hope turned to look at him, blinking.

“Possessed? What are you talking about?!” She yelled in surprise, barely believing what she had just heard.

“Hope, you had been possessed by Mara. Mara is this creature that creates nightmares. You’ve been most likely cursed by a third party, possibly Ulrike.. Mara rides on its victim, pressing down on their chest and throat. That’s what you did to MC, and you nearly suffocating her. We got Mara out of you, but it may return the following night if we don’t take proper precautions..” Henrik explained to Hope, who looked like she hadn’t understood anything he had just told her.

“Mara? Nightmares? Ulrike? MC?” She repeated quietly, looking at the other former islanders. When she saw how dead-serious they were, she finally realized that Henrik wasn’t pranking her.

“Oh, I’m so sorry MC! I.. I didn’t know! I didn’t want to! Oh God, this is bad, so bad..” Hope panicked, her entire body shaking with nervous energy. She hid her face in her hands, shaking her head feverishly. 

“Hope.. Hope.. It’s okay.. You weren’t in control..” MC groaned, still having some difficulties with speaking. 

“Oh no, listen to your voice! It’s awful! I’m awful!” Hope screamed, tears glistening in her eyes. She truly seemed to regret what she had done. Marisol sighed, knelt down next to her and enveloped her into a hug.

“You were possessed.. No one is blaming you.. It’s over now..” Marisol attempted to comfort Hope, gently patting her back. Hope cried against Marisol’s shoulder, still shaken up by the events.

“Maras attach easier to unmarried young women and to people with a lot of negativity.. They can be warded off by certain items and spells, but they are hard to get rid of for good without killing the person who cursed you or without killing you, the victim,” Henrik sighed and looked at the knife that he was still holding. Hope’s eyes widened as she noticed the item too and winced, “Don’t worry, we’re not going to kill you!” Henrik quickly added and put the knife away.

“Ugh.. That would explain why I’ve been so tired lately..” Hope sniffed, rubbing her temples.

“My great-grandmother used to tell me about Mara, but I kinda figured it was only an allegory for sleep paralysis or sleep walking..” Henrik sighed, shaking his head slightly, “Never did I imagine that they would actually be real.. But I guess I should have expected it, seeing that Huldras, Trolls, Näckens and Askafroas are also real.”

“MC.. I’m so, so sorry.. I.. I didn’t want to hurt you.. I’m glad you’re alright..” Hope sighed and looked apologetically at MC. MC just nodded slightly, soon recalling what Hannah had told her in the dream.

“I have some important news..” MC gathered everyone’s attention, “Well, Hannah came to me in my dream.. She told me she had become my guardian. Graham has joined our friends. Marisol, Hannah told me that Graham had said that he doesn’t blame you and he’s sad that he can’t protect you anymore..” MC gazed at Marisol.

Marisol’s body tensed up, and she looked at the ground, motionless and silent. She bit her lip and exhaled deeply, “I just.. Wish I hadn’t been so stupid.. Graham was my friend..” She sighed, full of regrets. 

“I think he wishes you the best. That you’d move on. That you’d survive.” MC smiled sadly at Marisol, remembering the times in Casa Amor and the Villa, when those two had been so in love and so careless, not worrying about the upcoming day. 

“How can I.. ever.. First Elisa, now Graham..” Marisol laughed sorrowfully, shaking her head. 

“And talking about dead people..” MC muttered ominously and turned to face Ibrahim, who was still tied up against a tree. He was growing more and more uncomfortable under the attention of his friends, “Ibrahim, you didn’t kill Shannon…” MC smiled at Ibrahim, confidently.

“What?!” Lucas gasped and his statement was followed by whispering among the others.

“What are you…?” Ibrahim frowned, his heart skipping a beat, “Why would I lie about something like that? I know that I killed Shannon!” He boomed, suddenly defensive. 

“Hannah told me. Shannon is not with them,” MC shook her head and walked up to Ibrahim slowly, “It’s about time you tell us what really went down, Rahim. You owe us an explanation. Why did you lie about killing Shannon?” MC demanded to know with a stubborn tone. She wasn't going to back down or go easy on Ibrahim now.

Ibrahim looked around him, seeing the hard gazes of his friends. He gulped loudly, “Here we go again..” He sighed before fixing his dark gaze onto MC.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing that dream scene was rather emotional to me.. Also, more ABBA songs and more monsters! Although I have been dropping hints of this monster earlier if you've paid a lot of attention..


	18. Time to Get Real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big group listens to Ibrahim's story, discuss their big plan for the day and confront Dorotea. Shannon is feeling unbearably hungry and thirsty..

[The big group]

“Rahim, talk..” MC scoffed harshly, her eyes piercing through Ibrahim. Ibrahim sighed loudly before talking.

“It all began when we were attacked and taken by trolls. We were taken into this jail and Ulrike told us that we had an hour to choose who dies. So, obviously at first we tried to look for a way out, but we couldn’t find any. So then I told Shannon to kill me, so I could see Jo again. Shannon refused and told us that she has a plan. Then she walked up to me and whispered into my ear,” Ibrahim cleared his throat as he began to imitate Shannon, "‘Rahim. I’m going to hug you, and then stab myself. I’ll pretend to die, and hopefully Ulrike won’t look at me too well and the trolls will carry me to Ulrike’s base. That way I can explore it and learn more about Ulrike’s plan. You have to pretend that you’ve gone crazy in order for this plan to work.. Is this alright with you, Rahim?'” Ibrahim fell silent for a moment, his eyes glistening, “So I agreed and it happened.. Oh, we really need to find her and help her out soon.. I’m scared she’ll be eventually caught..” 

The group fell silent, dissecting Ibrahim’s story and everything that had taken place afterwards. Finally, Lucas spoke up.

“Mate, that’s a crazily dangerous plan! So many things could have gone wrong..” Lucas gasped, shaking his head disapprovingly. 

“I know, but.. If that was a risk Shannon was willing to take, then trust her.. She’s an expert of gambling in the end..” Ibrahim smiled carefully.

“So.. I slapped you for nothing?” MC asked, the realization dawning on her. Ibrahim looked at her for a long moment, motionless.

“Yeah. I suppose. But I understand why you did it..” Ibrahim sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. “To be honest, I probably would have done the same if someone claimed to have killed my friend and acted completely psycho..” Ibrahim smiled and opened his eyes slowly.

“You know what this means.. We’ll have to find her soon before she gets caught or we’re too late to save Priya..” Gary reminded the group with furrowed eyebrows.

“That’s true.. She’s right in the enemy’s nest. It’s only a matter of time before she’s caught..” Henrik sighed, shaking his head, his long hair swaying with the movement.

“I don’t think it’s wise to try and find the place in the middle of the night, though.. We need to be alert for tomorrow, the forest is dangerous during nighttime and I bet Shannon’s also resting..” Lottie voiced her opinion, her green eyes full of worry.

“I agree.. Plus, MC and Hope both look very tired after the incident..” Bobby cleared his throat quietly, staring at the ground. Hope’s face fell and she opened up her mouth to say something, but closed it again, words failing her.

“And we need to ask Dorotea about Graham..” Marisol whispered, her voice quiet and shaky. Chelsea wrapped her arms around Marisol’s frame and hugged her comfortingly.

“Let’s go back to sleep for now.. We have a long day tomorrow as it’s our last chance to save Priya. Then, in the morning we’ll go see Dorotea and then spend however long it takes to find Ulrike’s base.” Lucas concluded, and the former islanders nodded, returning to their sleeping bags. 

MC laid down on the ground, looking up to the sky. A million thoughts were running through her head; Priya, Hannah, Graham, Shannon, Ibrahim, Gary, Hope.. So many things had changed within the last 24 hours. She had found out that Hannah was the mysterious light protecting her and that Hope was the reason for her horrible nightmares. Graham had drowned and Gary’s arm had been ripped off. They had thought that Ibrahim had killed Shannon, when in reality it had all been part of Shannon’s grand plan.. Nothing seemed to be quite like they had seemed to be at first.

With those thoughts, exhaustion took over MC’s body as she fell into dreamless sleep.

…

The morning broke all too soon, the rays of sun filtering through the branches of the tall trees. MC opened her eyes, hoping that she could sleep an hour or two more.. That was until she smelled someone cooking something and heard the fire crackling. She slowly sat up, rubbing her tired eyes and looked around.

“Good morning, MC!” Henrik laughed as he noticed that MC was awake. He was cooking… fish by the fire. For a moment MC thought she was seeing another dream, but slowly she realized that she was indeed wide awake. She looked at Henrik more in detail - he was not wearing a shirt and his shorts were wet. 

“Where did you get the fish from?” MC yawned and stretched, suddenly feeling really hungry. They had lived the past few days with canned meat and snacks, so the thought of eating something fresh made her stomach sing joyously.

“I went fishing.” Henrik shrugged and put the first cooked fish on a plastic plate next to him, “Take a piece of that. I sadly didn't catch enough fish to provide everyone their own fish..” He frowned and continued to cook another fish. 

“Oh.. I didn’t know you had a fishing rod with you..” MC furrowed her brows and got up to take a piece of that delicious fish.

“I don’t. I fished with a wooden stick.” Henrik chuckled and turned the fish around. MC nearly dropped her plate hearing Henrik’s statement.

“You.. What?” She asked in confusion, staring at the piece of meat on her plate.

“What kind of wilderness survival instructor would I be if I didn’t know how to fish without a rod?” Henrik smiled playfully at MC. Just as MC was about to answer something to his remark, she heard shuffling from one of the sleeping bags.

“Is that fish I smell?” Lucas asked as he sat up, his black hair messy and on his eyes. When he saw MC looking his way, he quickly combed his hair with his fingers to make himself look more presentable, avoiding eye contact with her.

“Sure, buddy! I fished for everyone. Come and get your piece!” Henrik grinned at Lucas, who smiled back at him gratefully, got up and took a similar sized piece of fish as MC. He looked around awkwardly before sitting down next to MC, unsure whether she wanted company or not.

“Morning..” Lucas smiled at MC carefully and began eating the fish.

“Good morning, Lucas. Did you sleep well?” MC beamed back at Lucas, who swore that he would never get tired of that smile. He nearly forgot to answer MC’s question, but corrected his aloofness smoothly with a yawn. 

“Could have been better, could have been worse.. What about you?” He questioned, blinking a few times while looking at the glorious morning sky.

“Same..” MC mumbled and they are in silence for a moment, “Crazy how all of this is coming to an end soon, huh..” MC finally spoke and Lucas nodded, looking back at her.

“Yeah.. Today is the day that seals our fate.. Priya’s fate. Either we return with her, leave without her or in the worst case scenario.. Die while trying.” Lucas sighed, a far-away look on his face all of a sudden. MC nodded, her words getting caught in her throat. She took a long breath, gathering her thoughts.

“It’s funny.. Before this summer, I used to be really scared of dying. I kind of thought I was immortal in a sense. That death is something so distant that I didn’t have a reason to even think about it. But now, it's all changed. I’ve changed. Sure, the thought of dying is scary, and I don’t want to die.. But.. I know I won’t be alone anymore.” MC smiled sadly, looking down. She held Hannah to the promise that they would be waiting for her.

“It’s natural to be scared of death. People generally fear the unknown, and death and what’s after it is the biggest mystery to humankind. We all believe different things about it. But right now.. We need to push that fear away. If we let it control us, we will freeze in the eyes of danger.” Lucas answered, frowning at the fish on the plastic plate.

“Let’s remain positive.. We’re going to save Priya and go home together, right?” MC smiled at Lucas, the earnestness of the moment nearly convincing Lucas that everything was going to be fine in the world sooner or later.

“Right,” Lucas grinned back at MC before holding out his pinky, “And I’ll promise to protect you.. No matter what happens..” He spoke silently, before realizing what he had just said, “And obviously everyone else!” Lucas cleared his throat, a little embarrassed. 

MC just giggled at his antics, “Let’s just all agree to watch over each other. That’s the way we’ll have the highest chance to make it..” She grinned and joined her pinky finger with Lucas’. They held their joined pinkies and looked at each other for a moment before pulling apart. 

“Listen, MC… I haven’t been able to forget our kis--” Lucas began but was rudely interrupted by a loud, over-exaggerated yawn coming from where Bobby was sleeping. Bobby sat up, his expression chill and kind, as if he hadn’t heard anything at all.

“Oh! Good morning MC, Henrik, Lucas!” Bobby smiled at the trio, nodding his head and winking at MC when their eyes met. 

“Morning, Bobby! Come and eat some fish!” Henrik laughed and shot a questioning though humored glance at Lucas' and MC’s direction when Bobby looked away. Bobby took his plate and sat down to the other side of MC, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, nearly dropping his piece of fish onto MC’s lap. 

“What’s up, lass? Did you sleep well?” Bobby asked with a smile, taking a bite of his food. Lucas looked mildly disappointed and just looked to another direction from MC and Bobby as they shared a quick kiss. 

One by one, the rest of the former islanders also woke up and joined the group around the fire. Lottie was fiddling with her Tarot cards with nervous energy, her long blonde hair falling over her face. 

“What’s happening, Teetee?” Gary asked her sweetly, brushing the hair away from her face. Lottie let out a frustrated sigh, laying down the deck she had been holding.

“Sometimes I kind of wish I didn’t have to see my daily card.. You know, sometimes you don’t want to face the reality before you have to. But.. It’s an important ritual to me, and today we need more guidance than ever before..” Lottie frowned, staring at the deck intently. 

“I think a full-on reading wouldn’t hurt us.. There are so many things that can go wrong today..” Ibrahim sighed, grimacing. 

“Or right!” Chelsea chirped happily, trying to spread positive energy to the group.

“Yeah Lottie, maybe you could draw a card to some questions we have!” Rocco suggested, trying to will a small smile on his face. 

“Ugh.. Alright. It just feels weird..” Lottie shook her head slowly before glancing at her friends, “So, questions, anyone?” She asked with an unreadable expression.

“What’s going on with Shannon?” Ibrahim quickly questioned with a worried tone. Lottie began to shuffle the deck, repeating the question quietly until a card flew out. She picked it up and looked at it for a moment before showing it off to everyone.

“Seven of swords. Seven of swords can represent sneakiness, thievery, deceit, spying, strategy and lies.. In regards to your question, it can be read in two ways, really. Either that she’s getting away with it.. Or failed plans.” Lottie explained, her voice unsure.

“So, it could go either way? That’s not really helpful..” MC sighed, so many questions swimming inside her mind. 

“I.. I feel like she will be faced with a choice that determines the end result..” Lottie furrowed her brows and began shuffling again. This time, three cards flew out. Lottie picked them up, a slight surprise visible on her face.

“What is it?” Ibrahim asked nervously. Lottie turned the cards around. They were all major Arcana; The Fool reversed, The Devil and Judgement. 

“I’m reading this as if.. One of her plans would be too reckless and lacking of forethought.. One of them would cause her to end up being captured.. And one of them would lead to renewal, rebirth and awakening..” Lottie told the group, her eyes flickering up to meet MC’s eyes. 

“But how do we know which path is the correct one?” Hope sighed, looking at the cards with a hopeless expression. 

“We don’t.. We just have to trust our gut.” Lottie shrugged and put the cards back to the deck, “Any more questions?” She asked.

“Can we trust Dorotea? Or is she being sneaky?” MC asked, glancing behind her at the lake. It was calm and undisturbed. Lottie began shuffling again, and after a while, a new card flew out. It landed the picture side up, so MC could see what card it was right away. 

Temperance. 

Lottie looked at the card for a moment before picking it up, showing it to everyone, “When I saw his card, two sentences came to my mind; ‘Everyone is going to get what they deserve in the end’ and ‘The balance is to be kept’. I’m not exactly sure how these sentences came to me, but I feel like they’re somehow related to everything..” Lottie explained and put the card back to the deck.

MC thought about the card. Temperance. How was Temperance related to Dorotea? Before she could ask Lottie to clarify, another question was asked and the opportunity lost.

“How is Graham doing?” Marisol asked, her tone desperate. Lottie sighed and looked up to her.

“I’m not a medium, hun. Or at least mediumship is not my specialty.. I don’t know if I can answer your question..” She shook her head, but fell silent when she saw the emotion in Marisol’s eyes.

“Please.. I’ve never believed in Tarot, crystals and whatever, but.. I just need to know. I need to know if he's fine..” Marisol sniffed, wiping her eyes.

Without a word, Lottie started to shuffle. That’s when the six of cups accompanied by the nine of cups flew out. The group stared at the two cards before Marisol started to laugh uncontrollably.

“What’s wrong, Marisol?” Chelsea asked quickly, full of surprise. Marisol held her stomach as she laughed, shaking her head.

“That’s Graham, alright. Look at the first card. There’s a boat! And on the other card - he used to sit just like that! And obviously he has to throw in a sex joke even from the dead, that goofball!” Marisol laughed, leaning against Rocco who sat next to her. Rocco looked confused and just shrugged at the people staring at Marisol with curiosity.

“Oh.. Well, I think these cards together mean moving on and being satisfied.. I think Graham’s doing fine there..” Lottie spoke quietly, and slowly Marisol calmed down from her sudden fit of giggles.

The group asked a few more questions, before they all agreed that it was the best for them to get a move along. They still needed to confront Dorotea and find Ulrike’s base as soon as possible, so they didn’t have the entire day to use for reading Lottie’s Tarot cards.

“Well, I hope that opened up everyone's eyes and soothed our nerves!” Lottie grinned as she stood up, putting away her Tarot cards. The group finished packing, put out the fire and headed towards the lake, adamant to know what was up with Dorotea and Näcken after what had happened the previous evening.

MC stood on the shore, feeling mixed emotions. What if Dorotea had truly been deceiving them? Would that mean the cure was also a scam? She had tricked them to lift her curse by getting her the ingredients they had thought to be for the cure, too, so was it too far-fetched to imagine that she had been playing them all along? Once a monster, always a monster. 

“Dorotea! We need to talk to you!” Henrik shouted. His voice echoed against the calm surface of the lake. It was all so quiet for a moment, before bubbles started to appear on the water. Soon, the familiar figure of Dorotea appeared in front of them, raising up from the water like Venus herself. 

“Hello everyone. I see that you’re starting to take your leave. I wish everything goes according to your plan and Priya will find her way home.” Dorotea smiled at the group earnestly, her smile reaching her eyes.

“You have some explaining to do first..” Kassam growled, his voice deep and clearly hurt from losing his friend.

“Explaining.. What are you talking about?” Dorotea gasped, her eyes wide like saucers. 

“Acting all innocent, please..” Lottie rolled her eyes, frowning at Dorotea. 

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about..” Dorotea sighed and started to look around the group, realization dawning on her face, “Wait.. Where’s Graham?” She asked, blinking her eyes and furrowing her brows.

“We thought you would know better..” Carl stared blankly at Dorotea, tapping his feet impatiently and crossing his arms. 

“Why would I know where your friend has wandered off to? You’re barking at the wrong tree here!” Dorotea narrowed her eyes, yet giggled to her little pun, “Tree, you know, I used to be a literal ash tree..”

“It’s no time to be fucking around! Graham’s dead!” Marisol screamed at Dorotea, and for a second it felt like all oxygen had been sucked out of existence. The bird song fell silent, the water ran motionless and every animal stopped on their daily routine. Dorotea stared at Marisol, her mouth slightly agape.

“Wait.. Graham’s dead?” She whispered, looking utterly confused and surprised, “But.. How? What happened?” Dorotea added inquisitively, her brows furrowed. 

“He was dragged underwater by Elisa.. Although we KNOW that Elisa is dead.. So that only leaves either you, your man or some other water creature to be blamed..” Rocco groaned, shaking his head slightly. 

“I swear on my heart and soul that I was not involved in this!” Dorotea insisted, sounding a little hurt that the group was even suspecting her. 

“Why should we trust you? You tricked us before! What if this all is a trick?! The cure, the plan, the ingredients..! Was it all a lie?!” MC shouted, her voice shaky. 

“Calm down! I didn’t kill Graham! I didn’t disguise myself as Elisa! I want Priya to be saved as much as you do!” Dorotea shouted back, her eyes beginning to tear up. 

“Well, can you then find out who did it and what happened to Graham?” Lucas asked level-headedly, trying to keep the situation under control with all of the emotions running high. 

“I can ask around for sure.. But I’m not sure if anyone knows anything or is willing to spill the beans..” Dorotea sighed and dove underwater. Everything resumed to live again around them. 

“Do you trust Dorotea?” Hope turned to look at the rest of the group with a conspiratory look on her face. 

“She’s clearly a liar.. Right now she’s probably gathering up her army to attack us..” Marisol sniffed, her face red from anger. 

“But she seemed so genuinely taken aback by the news!” Chelsea defended Dorotea, her blue eyes still full of trust and confidence.

“Maybe she’s covering for Mikael.. We know that she would do anything for him..” Carl theorized, a concentrated look on his face.

“Or maybe she had to keep up the earnest and oblivious facade so her master plan won’t fail?” Ibrahim sighed, rubbing his temples. 

“Her master plan? What do you reckon it would be?” Gary questioned, not buying the idea Ibrahim was offering the group quite yet.

“Maybe she wants to overthrow the reign of Huldras?” Lucas suggested quietly, running his hand through his hair. 

“Or maybe this is all a game to her?” Kassam proposed, “A sick, twisted game to scare us and eliminate us one by one.. I could write a mixtape about this trip..” He pondered out loud. 

“What would you call the mixtape?” Lottie suddenly asked, interested.

“I don’t know.. I’ve been thinking about Midsummer Week’s Nightmare or Catharsis of the Human Condition..” Kassam smiled at Lottie mysteriously.

“The fourth wall!” Bobby whispered in-between a fit of coughs. The rest of the islanders looked at him all weird, “I just feel like I’ve heard about something similar before.. I don’t remember where, though..” He shrugged.

“Let’s return to the original topic; do you think Dorotea is a fraud? Or is she genuinely trying to help us?” Hope tried to return the conversation to the right rails again.

“I.. I understand your theories and all, but I still feel like she truly cares for Priya and tries to help us.” Henrik finally admitted, all eyes falling on him.

“Yeah babe! Tell them!” Chelsea chuckled, proud and happy that someone was finally agreeing with her.

“Ugh, that’s the problem with you two.. You’re too optimistic, especially when you’re together! You’re too.. Too blue-eyed!” Marisol rolled her eyes, irritated.

“Objection! Objection! Henrik has green eyes, not blue!” Chelsea corrected Marisol, pursing her luscious lips together. 

“Blue-eyed, as in, naive! You’re both too innocent for your own good!” Marisol explained, talking with her hands. 

“That idiom doesn’t work too well in English.. Works in Swedish, though!” Henrik laughed, trying to lift the mood, but only causing Marisol to become even more frustrated.

“We’re all going to die because of you two! Stop being so damn trusting! World is not a good place! If it was, then why does it keep kicking me, hitting me and pushing me down like a middle school bully?!” Marisol screamed, her lips trembling. 

“Marisol, you’re crossing the line. Calm down.” Lucas walked in front of Marisol, laid his hands on Marisol’s shoulders firmly and looked down on her strictly. Behind him, Chelsea let out a sad whimper.

“Go ahead, cry about it! In this world, not everyone is going to treat you like a motherfucking princess!” Marisol gritted her teeth while a tear ran down her cheek. She suddenly felt so powerless after letting all of that bottled up anger out, instantly regretting letting her feelings take over her sound mind like that.

Henrik held Chelsea close as she looked on, distraught by Marisol’s words. MC walked to the other side of Chelsea and whispered some words of comfort into her ear, rubbing her back. 

“Marisol. Just give it a rest, won’t you? We need to work together and trust each other completely for us to make it out alive..” Bobby spoke calmly to Marisol. Marisol looked down, guilt burning in her eyes and lungs.

“We’re all feeling emotional here and we know these trips have been very difficult for you, but you can’t go and blame it all on Chelsea and Henrik..” Gary sighed as he looked at both Chelsea and Marisol, one at a time.

“And both Chelsea and Henrik have been a great help here in their own ways.. Henrik has been translating everything, helping us to survive, he fished for us this morning, he told us a lot about the monsters.. And Chelsea has always been positive and cheering us on, even when everyone else was ready to give up.” Rocco reminded Marisol gently.  
"And to be fair, last time Chelsea really saved our asses by shooting that wolf!" Gary grinned, having heard before that it was Chelsea who had shot the giant wolf after he had failed to do so.

“Chelsea, I’m sorr--” Marisol tried to apologize to Chelsea but she silenced her with showing her palm to her. Marisol gasped but fell silent. Chelsea extracted herself from Henrik’s arms and walked right up to Marisol, her tears dried and a determined look plastered onto her face. 

“I know that almost everyone sees me as this ditsy, slow and innocent blond girl who can only talk about interior design, gin and bras. And I know certain people love me for who I am,” Chelsea shot a meaningful smile at the direction of Henrik and MC, “But that’s not all I am. I am much more than that. It may take me a while to get a joke, but that doesn’t mean I’m dumb. I might get overly excited about my interests, but that doesn’t make me a bimbo. I may have trouble concentrating on certain tasks, but that doesn’t make me careless. Everyone has their own struggles, and I have mine too. I still worry. I still cry. I still feel sad. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine for me either. I struggle too. But I don’t want to dump my negative emotions on other people. That’s why I try to always be happy and positive, so other people would have an excuse to let go of their own worrying thoughts for a second.” Chelsea spoke, surprisingly serious and focused, choosing her words carefully.

“I didn’t--” Marisol tried to add, but Chelsea continued talking before she could put in a word edgewise.

“And I know the words you just said came from a place of hurt. They didn’t come from a place of ill intent towards me. I know that you’re deeply scarred by this place. So are we all, more or less. This place has left scars we need to carry with us till the day we die. But you know what I think? Life is too short to live in constant fear, constant pain and constant negativity. You can make a conscious decision every day to choose fortitude instead of fear, strength instead of pain and positivity instead of negativity. Sure, there are still things that are gonna make us feel scared, hurt and down, but those things don’t have to define the way we approach life. Every positive emotion you send out to the world will eventually always return to the sender!” Chelsea exclaimed, a soft smile finding its way back onto her face. 

After that speech, the entire group fell silent. They hadn’t known Chelsea would have what it takes inside her to be such an inspirational, motivational speaker. They all stared at her in awe, seeing her in a completely different light. 

“Wow, babe, that was such a good speech!” Henrik cheered Chelsea on, who beamed at him warmly. 

“I didn’t think you could have such deep thoughts about life..” Rocco admitted, scratching his beard thoughtfully. 

“Yeah, I don’t strike people as the philosophical type!” Chelsea giggled, “And to be fair, I’m not. I don’t spend hours a day thinking about the meaning of life and all. I just want to have a good time, preferably with the people I love and a gin or a bubbly in my hand! But I have just had enough of people seeing me as this simple-minded bimbo. If I was just that, and this was a horror movie, I would’ve already died, right?” Chelsea winked at Lottie, who grinned back at her.

“Guys..” The group suddenly heard from behind them and they turned around. They saw Dorotea standing in the water, holding the limp and cold body of Graham in her arms. When she noticed that she had managed to get everybody’s attention, the walked to the shore and laid Graham’s body down on the ground. The group gathered around Graham’s corpse, taking it all in.

He looked peaceful. As if he was just sleeping. His skin was pale and had a tint of blue to it. There were hand marks on his shoulders and neck. Someone in the group gasped at the sight. 

“Did you find out.. What happened to him? Like, who was Elisa?” Bobby inquired quietly, not bearing to tear his eyes away from the motionless body of the sailor.

“Elisa was.. Elisa.” Dorotea shrugged, a sorry look on her face.

“What?! But Elisa’s dead!” MC shouted in surprise, looking at Dorotea.

“Well, technically.. Ugh, it’s hard to explain. The body you saw was Elisa’s, but the soul inside it was really not. It’s kinda like she had been possessed. That can be believed to happen in our culture..” Dorotea explained, flailing her hands around wildly as she spoke.

“Ohh, kinda like they believed that a corpse can be taken over by a bad spirit, wake up and cause havoc after the death and how it was bad to look at a corpse from eye to eye? That’s an old pagan belief here..” Henrik connected the dots, his mouth open slightly. 

“Yes! Exactly! That’s what I meant..” Dorotea smiled gratefully at Henrik, “The old folk used to talk of how corpses hold a lot of power that can cause illness, wreak and new deaths.. That’s why it was especially important to treat a dead body respectively.” 

“So, you’re saying that… Elisa’s dead body was possessed by a some spirit and that her corpse has been walking around all this time?” Lottie gathered together, still a little unsure.

“Pretty much, yes. I know it sounds crazy and it is hard to believe, but Mikael told me that it wouldn’t have been the first time something like this has happened..” Dorotea sighed, looking at Graham’s body lying by her feet.

“How can we prevent the same happening to Graham’s body?” Chelsea squeaked, seemingly a little worried that Graham was going to sit up and walk away at any given moment.

“The body needs to be washed and buried..” Dorotea replied, a thoughtful look on her features, “I know that you don’t really have time to do it today. You have much more on your plate. And washing the body is seen as dangerous anyway. Only powerful witches and seers were allowed to wash the body. So please, let me wash and bury Graham.” Dorotea begged, a sincere look on her eyes. 

The group turned to look at Marisol instinctively. Marisol stared at Graham's corpse, her face expressionless and gaze detached, not really focusing on anything. She stood there, silent for a moment, before taking a long breath.

“Yes, you may do it. As long as his body doesn’t have to go through the same as Elisa’s body had to.. I want them both to rest in peace,” Marisol smiled sadly at Dorotea, “I.. I didn’t trust you before, but now, analyzing your words and actions.. I feel like you’re being sincere. I truly feel like you care for Priya and respect the dead.” 

“Of course I care. And I care for your safety. I don’t want anyone ending up like me, cursed to roam the earth for eternity..” Dorotea slowly shook her head, her voice emotional. 

“We’re sorry.. for doubting you, Dorotea..” Kassam sighed, looking down at his feet and shuffling them awkwardly.

“Can’t really blame you. This is all so new and scary to you.. I would find it hard to know this is all real if I was in your place.” Dorotea laughed dryly. 

“We really won’t forget all of your help, Dorotea.. I hope you can live happier than before now that you’re reunited with Mikael..” MC looked Dorotea straight into her eyes. Dorotea nodded and smiled shyly at the group. 

“I truly hope you all will make it out alive. And that Priya is leaving with you. Don’t be scared and trust each other.” Dorotea reminded them, her eyes full of faith. 

“Goodbye, Dorotea.” Lucas smiled gently at the woman. Dorotea picked up Graham again and nodded.

“Bye!” Chelsea shouted as well before the group started to make their way out of the shores. MC could swear she heard Dorotea singing softly to herself.

_‘Birds of passage, you and me, we fly instinctively..  
When the summer’s over and the dark clouds hide the sun..  
Neither you nor I’m to blame when all is said and done..’_

“So, next up.. We need to find Ulrike’s base. Let’s go to the same direction Ibrahim led us and look for any signs of life..” Henrik spoke to the group, smiling as confidently as he could. 

Even when they were walking further and further away, MC could still hear Dorotea’s soft voice clearly in her ears. 

_‘We’re still striving for the sky, no taste for humble pie..  
Thanks for all your generous love and thanks for all the fun..  
Neither your nor I’m to blame when all is said and done..’_

“Should we separate into smaller groups so we could cover more area?” Carl wondered and turned to Henrik. Henrik thought about it for a moment and shook his head.

“Only one of us has the cure. So what if someone else finds the base?” Henrik scratched his jaw, furrowing his brows.

“But three of us have walkie-talkies.. We could communicate through them..” Carl insisted stubbornly.

MC found herself humming along to Dorotea’s catchy yet somehow melancholic melody. 

_‘It’s so strange, when you’re down, and lying on the floor..  
How you rise, shake your head, get up and ask for more..  
Clear-headed and open-eyed, with nothing left untried..  
Standing calmly at the crossroads, no desire to run..  
There’s no hurry anymore when all is said and done..’_

“What are you humming?, MC?” Bobby whispered into MC's ear, who just shook her head casually.

“I don’t know.. But it’s hauntingly beautiful, don’t you agree?” MC smiled at Bobby and gave his hand a strong squeeze. Bobby nodded, smiled back at MC and held her hand comfortingly. 

~*~

[Shannon]

Shannon woke up from the cold and hard surface she had been lying on, her whole back and shoulders aching. Well, waking up was probably not the correct word to use. For most of the night, she had laid there wide awake, occasionally drifting off for fifteen or twenty minutes or so. She had been listening for any sounds and movements from the house, holding her breath every time she heard even the smallest of sounds.

She was well tired when the morning came. She wasn’t exactly sure whether it was the morning or not, but she had heard someone walking out of the front door, so she felt like it was safer to move around now. Shannon sat up, looking around in the dark cellar. She stretched, well-knowing that she needed an excellent massage to get rid of the pain in her back. But she had way worse problems to think about other than her back now.

She needed to find more information on Ulrike. Maybe something she could use to her advantage in getting through to Priya. And hopefully she would reunite with her friends today, one way or another. She was also feeling hungry and thirsty as she hadn’t eaten anything in over a day. So she concluded that she needed to find something edible pronto.

Shannon looked around in the dark, adapting to the darkness easily. She listened closely, and as she didn’t hear anything, she decided to go up the stairs. She walked the stairs slowly and as quietly as she could, soon finding herself in front of the door. She opened it discreetly and looked around. No signs of living or danger anywhere. 

Shannon slipped through the gap and closed the door behind her, making her way towards the kitchen. Her stomach was making such sounds that if she ended up in the same room with Ulrike, she would most likely find her because of those sounds. 

In the kitchen, she rummaged through the kitchen cabinets, but couldn’t find anything edible. She did find a jar on pickles from the 1960s, but concluded by the color of the liquid that it had gone bad a few decades ago. She put the jar back, wondering where could she find food without leaving the house. 

Then she made a shocking revelation, remembering the hanging bodies from the cellar. Her stomach turned. She couldn’t possibly eat that, could she? But on the other hand, there were also carcasses of boars, so technically it was just raw pig meat. In this situation, if you wanted to survive, you couldn’t really afford to be a picky eater. 

The sound of the front door made Shannon jump. She calculated her chances before sprinting back towards the cellar. She ran down the stairs as quietly as she could, only stopping when she had made her way deep into the cellar. She took a moment to stabilize her breathing, listening closely whether anyone had detected her. She heard footsteps, making their way down the corridor she had just ran through..

Tump tump. Tump tump. At that moment Shannon was fearing her heart beat would be enough of a clue. 

Luckily for her, the footsteps walked past the cellar door, off to another room. Shannon let out a small sigh of relief, a cold chill running through her entire body. That had been way too close for comfort. Suddenly Shannon’s stomach let out a loud growl, and Shannon remembered her hunger and thirst again. She could smell the stench of raw meat close-by.

She turned around to look at the carcasses hanging from the meat hooks. They looked utterly unappetizing, making her feel sick to her stomach, but she really had no other choice. Shannon took careful steps towards one of the hanging boars. She gulped, the awful smell hitting her more and more. She noticed a cut on the side of one of the bodies, and instinctively reached her hand towards it, inserting her hand into the body of the boar.

The meat around her hand had gone dry, so it felt less disgusting that she had imagined. She twisted her hand around until she finally felt that she had caught a piece of meat. She pulled out her hand and looked at the mushed up meat. She brought it up close to her nose and gave it a good whiff. Could have smelt worse, although she knew she was not up to a pleasant experience.

Without giving herself time to think about it that much, she chugged the meat into her mouth and bit into it like a famished predator. At first she wanted to spit it out, to throw up, but she forced herself to chew and swallow the meat. The texture was absolutely horrible, dry and sinewy, and the taste was not any better; but she had to eat something before her blood sugars would go too low. She reached in and took another clump of meat, devouring it. 

The dryness of the meat made her even more thirsty than before. But the more she ate, the more her hunger grew as well - she kept reaching for more and more meat, her thoughts becoming clouded from the unexpected sweetness of the meat kicking in. The meat tasted more tender than Shannon had remembered pork normally tasting, but she chalked it up to the difference that this was meat of a boar instead of an old normal farm pig. Maybe their diets differed.. 

Shannon eventually stopped eating when she realized how much she had eaten in her frenzy. She blinked a few times, dumbfounded by the gaping hole on the side of her victim. She took a few steps back, the sweet flavor of meat still strong in her mouth. She then shrugged, remembering how thirsty she was. She looked around at the shelves full of mason jars - each containing something absolutely horrifying. She went through the mason jars and bottles one by one, trying to find a bottle that did not have human or animal remains floating in the liquid.

Finally she found a jar that looked old, but didn’t have anything else in it. She opened the jar and sniffed the yellow liquid. The strong scent of alcohol hit her nostrils; it smelt like some type of wine. Fancy. Shannon brought the jar to her lips and gulped down. It tasted like old wine, mixed with something bitter. The consistency was a little lumpy, but overall it was bearable. Shannon drank a good wine glass worth of the liquid, not wanting to drink too much as she didn’t want to end up drunk in a place like this. She put the jar down, trying not to think about what she had just eaten and drank too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know that it's Midsummer Week right now! So the prequel of this story takes place around this time of the year! Isn't that cool? I've been thinking about that fact lately and I don't think I can celebrate the Midsummer ever the same because of this story haha. 
> 
> I also joined a Facebook LITG group and saw someone commenting that 'references to ABBA is the true horror'.. I laughed at that comment SO MUCH! Like, I was deceased. 
> 
> I wish you all a happy Midsummer! Glad misdommar! Hyvää juhannusta! :)


End file.
